THE 
LAST 
THREE 
SOLDIERS 

WILLIAM-HENRY-SHELTON 


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THE 
LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 


Hff 


'THERE  THEY   AKE!     SEE?    BY   THE  END  OK  THE  HOUSE! 
EXCLAIMED  PHILIP."    (Set page  %•&.) 


THE 
LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 


BY 


WILLIAM  HENRY  SHELTON 


NEW  YORK 
THE  CENTURY  CO. 

1897 


Copyriglit,  1896,  1897,  by 
The  Century  Co. 


The  DeVinne  Press. 


WITH  AN  APOLOGY  TO  THE  LITTLE   SISTER 

THAT  THE  PLOT  IS  NOT  MORE  BLOOD-CURDLING  AND 

HARROWING,     THIS    STORY    OF    WHAT     MGHT    HAVE    BEEN 

IS  AFFECTIONATELY    DEDICATED    TO  HIS    YOUNG 

FRIENDS  GUSSIE  AND  GENIE  DEMAREST 

BY  THE  AUTHOR 


145  West  FrFTT-FiFTH  Stkeet, 
New  Yokk,  September  4,  1897 


CONTENTS 


Chaptkb  pass 

I    COMPLETIKG  THE  LiNE 1 

n  The  Old  Man  of  the  Mountain      ....        10 
in  The  Mountain  of  the  Twentieth  Eed  Pin      .        .    19 

rv  A  Day  op  Discoveries 23 

V  The  Cipher  Code 36 

VI  Messages  of  Dire  Disasters 43 

Vn  In  which  the  Three  Soldiers  Make  a  Remarkable 

Resolution 51 

Vin  "Which  Ends  in  a  Battle 62 

IX  The  Plateau  Receives  a  Name 80 

X  The  Prisoners 93 

XI  In  which  the  Soldiers  Make  a  Map         .        .        .  104 

XII  How  the  Bear  Disgraced  Himself         .        .        .      121 

XIII  How  THE  Bear  Distinguished  Himself      .        .        .  136 

XIV  Which   Gives   a   Nearer   View  of   the   Neighbor 

called  "Shifless" 152 

XV  The  Golden  Mill 162 

XVI  Which  Shows   that  a  Mishap  is  Not  Always  a 

Misfortune 178 

XVn  How  the  Postmaster  Saw  a  Ghost  ....  190 

XVin  Knowledge  from  Above 201 

vii 


viii  CONTENTS 

Chapter  page 

XIX  The  Cave  of  the  Bats 216 

XX  The    Stained-glass   Windows   and    the   Prismatic 

Fowls 232 

XXI  A  Scrap  of  Paper 243 

XXII  The  Deserted  House 265 

XXin  Starvation 282 

XXTV  The  Eescue 298 

XXV  Conclusion 315 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


"'There  They  Are!   See?  By  the  End  of  the  House!' 
Exclaimed  Philip" Frontispiece 

PAGE 

"It  was  a  Mighty  Fortress,  Unscalable  on  its  Western 

Side" 5 

Andy  Tells  the  Story  of  the  Old  Man  of  the  Mountain    15 
"Lieutenant  Coleman  was  the   First  to  Ascend,  with 
the   Telescope    of    the    Station    Strapped    on    his 

Shoulders" 25 

"  Corporal  Bromley  Took  Position  with  a  Red  Flag  hav- 
ing A  Large  White  Square  in  the  Center"         .        .    37 
"Poor  Philip,  Left  Alone,  Burst  into  Tears"     .        .        53 

The  Mother  Bear  Comes  for  her  Cub 69 

"  She  Rose  Suddenly  on  her  Hind  Feet  and  Dealt  Him 
such  a  Whack  as  Nearly  Broke  his  Ribs"       .        .        75 

Christening  the  Territory 87 

"The  Fowls  Hung  about  the  Door"        ....      107 
"Philip  Made   Up  the  Most  Marvelous  Stories,  which 

WERE  Recited  before  the  Fire" 115 

"The  Cask  was  Overturned  so  that  the  Yellow  Pieces 

Poured  Out  upon  the  Floor" 131 

"They  Drove  Him  Off  with  Sticks  and  Stones"       .        .  143 

ix 


X  LIST  OF  ILLUSTEATIONS 

PAGE 

Making  a  Hundred-dollar  Caster 149 

The  Golden  Mill 165 

Philip  on  the  Edge  op  the  Precipice  ....  175 
"Philip   could    See   the   Hole    in   the    Snow    through 

which  He  Knew  He  must  have  Fallen"  .  .  .183 
"Rushing  Out  from  under  the  Trees,  They  Saw  a  Huge 

Balloon  Sweeping  over  their  Heads"  .  .  .  207 
"Beyond  the  Illumination   op  his  Torch  He  Saw  Two 

Gleaming  Eyes" 221 

Exploring  the  Cave  op  the  Bats  .  .  .  .  .  227 
"  He  was  Down  on  his  Hands  and  Knees  upon  the  Turf  "  247 

"The  Scrap  op  Paper" 257 

The  Deserted  House 269 

The  Grave  op  the  Old  Man  op  the  Mountain        .        .      277 

The  Beacon  Fire 291 

"  He    could    Only   Cry   Out,  '  Fred  !    Fred  !    Here   They 

Come!'" 303 

"  They  Looked  Hardly  Less  Comical  than  Before  "  .        .  317 


THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIEIIS 


THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 


CHAPTER  I 

COMPLETING   THE   LINE 

IF  Andy  Zachary,  the  guide,  had  not  mysteri- 
ously disappeared  from  his  home  within  the 
month  which  followed  the  events  of  the  night 
of  the  2d  of  July  in  the  year  1864,  sooner  or 
later  the  postmaster  in  the  Cove  on  one  side  and  the  peo- 
ple in  the  valley  on  the  other  must  have  learned  of  the 
presence  of  the  little  colony  on  the  summit  of  the  gi'eat 
rock. 

On  that  particular  night  the  cavalcade  had  come  silently 
and  secretly  over  the  mountains  by  an  unfrequented  trail 
from  the  last  station  on  Upper  Bald,  which  towered  above 
the  Sandy  River  country.  The  troopers  had  followed  the 
guide  in  single  file  along  the  ridges  and  down  the  stony 
trails,  and  now,  when  they  emerged  on  the  open  Cove  road 
for  the  first  time,  Andy  fell  back  to  the  captain's  side,  in 
his  butternut  suit  and  mangj'-  fur  cap,  with  his  long  rifle 
slung  behind  his  broad,  square  shoulders. 
1  1 


2  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

For  that  night  his  will  was  law  above  that  of  the  cap- 
tain ;  and  before  the  three  pack-mules  at  the  end  of  the 
train  had  come  out  on  the  road,  the  head  of  the  column 
had  turned  up  a  washout  to  the  left,  which  presently 
brought  the  whole  outfit  into  the  shelter  of  a  grove  of 
pines  alongside  a  deserted  log  cabin.  It  was  just  a  trifle 
past  midnight  by  the  captain's  watch,  and  the  full  moon 
which  hung  above  the  ridge  to  the  west  would  light  the 
Cove  face  of  old  Whiteside  for  yet  an  hour ;  and  during 
the  darkness  which  must  follow  in  the  small  hours  of  the 
morning  there  would  be  ample  time  to  steal  through  the 
sleeping  settlement  and  find  a  lodgment  high  up  on 
the  mountain  which  was  the  objective  of  the  expedition. 

The  troopers  dismounted,  and  some  lay  down  on  the 
ground  by  the  horses,  while  two  kindled  a  fii'e  in  the  stone 
chimney  of  the  cabin  and  made  coffee  for  the  others. 
Corporal  Bromley  leaned  a  bundle  of  red-and- white  flags 
against  the  door-post,  and  after  turning  aside  with  Lieu- 
tenant Coleman  and  Philip  Welton  to  inspect  their  supphes 
on  the  pack-mules,  the  three  joined  the  captain  and  the 
guide  in  the  shadow  of  that  end  of  the  cabin  vrhich  looked 
toward  the  singular  mountain  standing  boldly  between  the 
Cove  and  the  valley  beyond.  That  it  was  a  mighty  for- 
tress, unscalable  on  its  western  side,  could  be  seen  at  a 
glance.  The  broad  moonlight  fell  full  on  a  huge  boulder, 
whose  mighty  top,  a  thousand  feet  above  the  Cove,  was 
fringed  with  a  tall  forest  growth  that  looked  in  the  dis- 
tance like  stunted  berry-bushes,  and  whose  rounded  granite 
side  was  streaked  with  black  storm-stains  where  the  rains 

RBC 
NoM 


COMPLETING  THE  LINE  3 

of  centuries  had  coursed  down.  The  moonlight  picked  out 
white  spots  underneath  the  huge  folds  which  here  and 
there  belted  the  rock  and  protected  its  under  face  from 
the  storms.  These  were  the  spots  which  the  rills  dribbled 
over  and  the  torrents  jumped  clear  of  to  meet  their  old 
tracks  on  the  bulging  rock  below.  It  looked  for  all  the 
world  as  if  the  smoke  from  huge  fires  had  been  curling 
against  the  mountain  for  ages,  so  black  were  the  broad 
upward  streaks  and  so  white  in  the  moon's  light  were  the 
surrounding  faces  of  the  rock.     Phil  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"  It  must  have  been  a  giant  that  rolled  it  there,"  he  said 
with  a  sigh  of  relief,  and  looking  up  at  Andy,  the  guide. 

"  Well,  now,  youngstei',"  said  Andy,  "  you  'd  'low  so  if 
you  was  round  these  parts  in  the  springtime,  when  the 
sun  loosens  the  big  icicles  hangin'  on  them  black  ledges, 
an'  leaves  'em  fall  thunderin'  into  the  Cove  bottom." 

The  Cove  post-of&ce,  whose  long  white  roof  crowned  a 
knoU  nearly  in  the  center  of  a  small  tract  within  the 
mountain  walls,  Andy  said,  was  at  such  times  a  great 
resort  of  the  mountaineers,  who  came  that  they  might 
watch  the  movement  of  the  avalanches  of  snow  and  ice. 

Because  of  its  wonderful  formation  this  mountain  was 
of  abundant  interest  to  all  during  their  brief  halt,  but  it 
was  examined  most  carefully  by  the  three  young  soldiers 
who  were  to  be  stationed  on  its  crest.  Philip  Welton  was 
the  youngest  of  the  three,  only  just  past  seventeen,  and  it 
was  well  known  to  his  officers  that  if  he  had  not  been  an 
oi'phan,  without  parents  to  object,  he  would  never  have 
been  permitted  to  enlist  even  as  a  drummer-boy  in  the  2d 


4  THE  LAST  THEEE  SOLDIERS 

Ohio,  or  in  any  capacity  in  any  other  command.  The  lad 
was  of  a  gentle,  affectionate  nature,  sensitive  and  refined, 
but  his  opportunities  for  education  had  been  limited  to  the 
winter  schools  and  the  books  he  had  read  behind  the  flour- 
sacks  in  his  uncle's  mill.  Some  said  his  uncle  was  glad  to 
be  rid  of  him  when  he  went  away  to  the  war.  Like  his 
friend  and  protector,  Bromley,  he  had  served  with  the 
colors  on  many  a  hard-fought  field,  and  now  the  two  had 
just  been  detached  from  then*  regiment  and  assigned  to 
duty  under  the  command  of  Frederick  Henry  Coleman,  a 
second  lieutenant  whose  regiment  was  the  12th  United 
States  Cavalry, 

George  Bromley,  although  the  oldest  of  the  three,  was 
not  yet  twenty  at  the  time  he  had  enlisted  at  the  beginning 
of  the  war,  and  he  had  left  college  in  his  junior  year  to 
enter  the  army. 

Lieutenant  Coleman  had  gi-aduated  from  West  Point 
the  summer  before,  the  very  youngest  member  of  his  class. 
Although  the  three  were  mere  boys  at  the  time  of  their 
enlistment,  each  had  entered  the  service  through  the 
strongest  motives  of  patriotism,  and  each  followed  the 
fortunes  of  the  national  arms  with  an  interest  which 
showed  itself  in  accordance  with  his  personal  character. 

At  that  time  General  Sherman's  army  was  engaged  in 
that  series  of  battles  which  began  at  Marietta,  Georgia, 
and,  including  the  capture  of  Pine  and  Lost  Moiintains, 
was  soon  to  end  in  the  victory  at  Kenesaw.  The  army  of 
General  Sherman  was  steadily  advancing  its  lines  in  spite 
of  the  most  heroic  resistance  of  General  Johnston,  and 


"IT  WAS  A  MIGHTY  FUKIKESS.  I  NSCAL.^BLE  ON  ITS  WESTEKN  SIDE." 


COMPLETING  THE  LINE  7 

every  new  position  gained  was  fortified  by  lines  of  log 
breastworks,  sometimes  thrown  up  in  an  hour  after  the 
regiments  had  stacked  arms.  These  hastily  constructed 
works,  extending  ten  and  twelve  mUes  across  the  thickly 
wooded  country,  were  nowhere  less  than  four  feet  high, 
with  an  opening  under  the  top  log  for  musketry,  and  out 
in  front  the  tree-tops  were  thrown  into  a  tangled  mass, 
almost  impossible  for  an  attacking  army  to  pass.  These 
peculiar  and  original  tactics  of  General  Sherman  enabled 
him  to  hold  his  front  with  a  thin  line  of  men,  wliile  the 
bulk  of  his  troops  were  sent  around  one  flank  or  the  other 
to  turn  the  enemy  out  of  his  works  and  so  gain  a  new 
position. 

This  was  the  sort  of  service  Corporal  Bromley  and 
Philip  Welton  had  been  engaged  in  during  the  early  part 
of  the  campaign ;  and  when  they  remembered  the  long 
rains  and  the  deep  mud  through  which  the  soldiers 
marched,  and  the  wagon-trains  foundered  and  stuck  fast, 
they  were  not  sorry  to  be  mounted  on  good  horses  and 
riding  over  hard  roads. 

Now  that  the  moon  had  set,  the  troopers  mounted  again 
and  moved  quietly  along  the  stony  road,  Andy  Zachary, 
the  guide,  riding  with  the  captain  at  the  head  of  the 
column.  The  deep  silence  of  the  forest  was  on  every  hand, 
broken  only  by  the  clicking  of  iron  shoes  and  the  occa- 
sional foaming  and  plunging  of  a  mountain  stream  down 
some  laurel-choked  gorge.  The  road  wound  and  turned 
about,  fording  branches,  mounting  hills,  and  dipping  down 
into  hollows  for  an  hour,  until  open  fields  began  to  appear 


8  THE  LAST  THEEE  SOLDIERS 

bristling  with  girdled  trees,  and  then  the  wooded  side  of 
the  huge  granite  mountain  shot  up,  towering  over  the  left 
of  the  column.  Soon  thereafter  the  forest  gave  way  to 
open  country,  and  as  the  road  swept  round  the  base  of  the 
mountain  it  became  a  broad  and  sandy  highway,  so  that 
when  the  horses  trotted  out  there  was  only  a  light 
jangling  of  equipments,— sabers  clicking  on  spurred  heels, 
and  the  jingling  of  steel  bits,— and  when  the  pace  was 
checked  to  a  walk  in  passing  some  dark  cabin  only  the 
creaking  of  the  saddles  was  heard. 

So  it  was  that  the  troopers  stole  silently  through  the 
valley  of  Cashiers,  with  the  solemn  mountain-peaks  stand- 
ing like  blind  sentinels  above  the  sparse  settlement.  Oc- 
casionally a  drowsy  house-dog  roused  himself  to  bark,  and 
his  fellow  gave  back  an  answering  echo  across  the  bushy 
fields ;  but  no  one  of  the  sleepers  awoke  under  the  patch- 
work quilts  of  many  colors,  and  the  long  rifles  hung  un- 
distiirbed  over  the  cabin  doors.  Then  the  troopers  exulted 
in  their  cleverness,  and  laughed  softly  in  their  beards, 
while  the  night  winds  blew  over  the  roofs  of  the  dark 
cabins  as  they  passed. 

After  they  were  clear  of  the  sandy  road  in  the  settle- 
ment, it  was  a  long  way  up  the  mountain-side,  and  the 
iron  shoes  of  the  scrambling  horses  clicked  on  many  a 
rolling  stone,  and  some  sleepy  heads  caught  forty  winks 
as  they  climbed  and  climbed.  The  cabins  disappeared, 
and  the  fences,  and  the  plow-steers  in  the  hill  pastures 
rattled  their  copper  bells  from  below  as  the  troop  got 
higher;  and  so  it  was  lonesome  enough  on  the  shaggy 


COMPLETING  THE  LINE  9 

momitain,  and  every  trace  of  the  habitation  of  man  had 
disappeared  long  before  they  reached  the  rickety  old 
bridge  which  spanned  the  deep  gorge. 

Andy  said  that  this  bridge  was  the  only  possible  way  by 
which  the  top  of  the  mountain  could  be  reached,  and  that 
it  had  been  built  a  great  many  years  ago  by  a  crazy  old 
man  who  once  lived  on  the  mountain,  but  who  was  long 
since  dead.  It  was  still  too  dark  to  examine  its  condition. 
It  could  be  seen  that  the  near-by  poles  of  the  old  railing 
had  rotted  away  and  fallen  into  the  black  chasm  below. 
More  than  half  of  the  bridge  was  swallowed  up  in  the 
shadows  of  the  foliage  on  the  other  bank.  Away  down  in 
the  throat  of  the  gorge,  where  tall  forest-trees  grew  and 
stretched  their  topmost  limbs  in  vain  to  reach  the  level  of 
the  grass  and  flowers  on  the  fields  above  them,  a  tinkling 
stream  fell  over  the  rocks  with  a  far-away  sound  like  the 
chinking  of  silver  coins  in  a  vault.  The  silence  above  and 
the  murmur  of  the  water  below  in  the  thick  darkness  were 
enough  to  make  the  stoutest  hearts  quail  at  the  thought 
of  crossing  over  by  the  best  of  bridges,  so  the  captain 
prudently  decided  to  wait  for  daylight ;  and  as  the  dis- 
tance they  had  gained  above  the  settlement  made  the  spot 
a  safe  encampment  for  a  day,  he  ordered  the  troopers  to 
unsaddle. 

After  feeding  the  tired  horses  from  the  sacks  of  oats 
carried  in  front  of  the  saddles,  the  men  lay  down  on  the 
ground  and  were  soon  sleeping  soundly  under  the  tall 
pines  which  grew  above  the  bridge-head. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  OLD  MAN  OF   THE  MOUNTAEST 

^HE  captain  and  Andy  lingered  by  the  bridge- 
head, and  the  three  boy-soldiers  who  were  to 
be  left  behind  next  day,  long  as  the  march  had 
been,  felt  no  inclination  for  sleep.  They  were 
too  much  interested  in  watching  for  the  first  light  by 
which  they  could  examine  this  important  approach  to  theii* 
temporary  station. 

''  I  should  like  to  know  something  more  of  the  crazy  old 
man  who  built  this  crazy  old  bridge,"  said  Philip,  appeal- 
ing to  Lieutenant  Coleman.  ''  Why  not  ask  the  guide  to 
teU  us  ? " 

Andy  was  by  no  means  loath  to  tell  the  story  so  far  as 
he  knew  it,  which  was  plain  enough  to  be  seen  by  the  de- 
liberate way  in  which  he  seated  himself  on  a  rock.  Andy's 
audience  reclined  about  him  on  the  dry  pine-needles. 

Mountaineers  are  not  given  to  wasting  their  words,  and 
by  the  extreme  deliberation  of  the  guide's  preparations  it 
was  sufficiently  evident  that  something  important  was 
coming. 

10 


THE  OLD  MAN  OF  THE  MOUNTAIN       11 

"  Thirty  years  back,"  said  Andy,  taking  off  his  coonskin 
cap,  and  looking  into  it  as  if  he  read  there  the  beginning 
of  his  story,  "  and  for  that  matter  down  to  five  year  ago, 
there  was  a  man  by  the  name  of  Jo-siah  Woodring  lived 
all  by  himself  in  a  log  cabin  about  half-way  up  this  moun- 
tain, and  just  out  o'  sight  of  the  trail  we-all  come  up  to- 
night. He  owned  right  smart  of  timber-land  and  clearin', 
and  made  a  crap  o'  corn  every  year,  besides  raisin'  'taters 
and  cabbage  and  enions  in  his  garden  patch.  He  had  a 
copper  still  hid  away  somewhere  among  the  rocks,  where 
he  turned  his  corn  crap  into  whisky ;  and  when  Jo-siah 
needed  anything  in  the  line  of  store  goods  he  hooked  up 
his  steer  and  went  off,  sometimes  to  Walhalla  and  some- 
times clean  up  to  Asheville. 

"  Now  about  a  year  after  Jo-siah  settled  on  his  clearin', 
about  the  time  he  might  have  been  twenty  or  thereabouts, 
when  he  come  back  from  one  of  those  same  merchandisin' 
trips,  instid  of  one  steer  he  had  a  yoke,  and  along  with  him 
there  was  a  little  man  a  good  thirty  year  older  'n  Jo-siah, 
an'  him  walkin'  a  considerable  piece  behind  the  cart  when 
they  come  through  the  settlement,  same  as  if  the  two 
wa'  n't  travehn'  together.  The  stranger  was  a  dark-com- 
plected man,  so  the  old  folks  say,  and  went  just  a  trifle 
lame  as  he  walked ;  and  as  for  his  clothes,  he  was  a  heap 
smarter  dressed  than  the  mountain  folks.  Not  that  he 
looked  to  care  for  his  dress,  for  he  did  n't,  not  he ;  but 
through  the  dust  of  the  road,  which  was  white  on  him,  hit 
was  plain  that  he  wore  the  best  of  store  cloth. 

"  As  the  cart  was  plumb  empty,  hit  would  seem  that  the 


12  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

little  man  fetched  nothing  along  with  him  besides  the 
clothes  on  his  back,  and  such  other  toggery  as  he  may 
have  stowed  away  in  the  cowskin  knapsack  they  do  say 
he  staggered  under.  If  he  had  any  treasure,  he  must  'a' 
toted  hit  in  his  big  pockets,  which,  hit  is  claimed  by  some 
folks  now  livin',  was  stuffed  out  like  warts  on  an  apple- 
tree,  and  made  him  look  as  misshapen  as  he  was  small. 

"Now,  whether  anybody  heard  the  chin  kin'  o'  gold  or 
not  (which  I  'm  bettin'  free  they  did  n't),  hit  looked  bad 
for  Jo-siah  that  this  partic'lar  stranger  should  disappear  in 
his  company,  for  he  was  never  seen  ag'in  in  the  settle- 
ment, or  anywhere  else,  by  any  human  for  a  good  two 
year  after  the  night  he  come  trudgin'  along  behind  the 
cart.  Hit  was  nat'ral  enough  that  the  neighbor  folks  in 
time  began  to  suspicion  that  Jo-siah  had  murdered  the 
man  for  his  money,  and  all  the  more  when  he  made  bold 
to  show  some  foreign-lookin'  gold  pieces  of  which  nobody 
knowed  the  vally. 

"  They  say  how  f eelin'  run  consid'ble  high  in  the  settle- 
ment that  year,  but  hit  was  only  surmisin'  like,  for  there 
was  no  evidence  that  would  hold  water  afore  a  juiy  of  any 
crime  havin'  been  committed;  and  hit  all  ended  in  the 
valley  folks  avoidin'  Jo-siah  like  his  other  name  was  Cain 
—and  that  sort  o'  treatment  'peared  to  suit  him  mighty 
well.  Leastways,  he  went  on  with  his  plowin'  and  sowin' 
and  stiUin'  his  crap,  and  whistled  at  the  neglect  of  his 
neighbors,  who  never  came  to  the  clearin'  any  more,  and  in 
that  very  year  he  built  this  bridge,  with  or  without  the  help 
of  the  other  one. 


THE  OLD  ilAN   OF   THE  MOUNTAIN  13 

"  When  the  bridge  was  first  seen,  hit  was  stained  by  the 
weather,  and  moss  had  come  to  grow  on  the  poles,  and 
rotten  leaves  filled  the  chinks  of  the  slab  floor  as  if  hit  had 
never  been  new,  and  no  one  cared  to  ask  any  questions 
of  Jo-siah,  who  kept  his  own  counsel  and  seemed  to  live 
more  alone  than  ever.  The  bridge  was  only  another  mys- 
tery connected  with  the  life  of  this  man  that  everybody 
shunned,  and  nobody  suspicioned  that  hit  had  anything 
to  do  with  the  disappearance  of  the  other  one,  who  was 
counted  for  dead. 

"  Now  when  day  comes,"  said  Andy,  "  you-all  will  see  for 
yourselves  that  there  is  no  timber  on  the  other  side  o'  this 
here  gully  tall  enough  to  make  string-pieces  for  a  bridge 
of  this  length,  and  so  the  two  string-pieces  must  have 
been  cut  on  this  side  so  as  to  fall  across  the  chasm  pretty 
much  where  they  were  wanted.  Well,  that  was  how  it 
was ;  and  the  story  goes  that  the  man  who  first  saw  the 
bridge  reported,  judging  by  the  stumps,  that  the  right- 
hand  timber  had  been  cut  six  months  or  more  before  the 
other  one,  which  might  have  been  just  about  the  time 
Jo-siah  brought  the  stranger  home  with  him,  and  would 
easily  account  for  his  disappearance  onto  the  summit  of 
the  mountain,  for  of  course  you  understand  he  was  not 
dead,  and  Jo-siah  the  Silent  had  no  stain  of  blood  on  his 
conscience. 

"  The  mountain  folks,  however,  thought  different  at  that 
time,  and  looked  cross-eyed  at  the  painted  cart  drawed  by 
the  two  slick  critters  on  hits  way  to  the  low  country. 
They  was  quick  to  take  notice,  too,  when  Jo-siah  come 


14  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

back,  that  the  cart  carried  more  kegs  than  what  hit  had 
taken  away,  besides  some  mysterious-lookin'  boxes  and 
packages.  Now  this  havin'  continued  endurin'  several 
half-yearly  trips,  hit  was  the  settled  idee  in  the  valley  that 
Jo-siah  was  a-fm*nishin'  of  his  cabin  at  a  gait  clear  ahead 
of  the  insolence  like  of  drivin'  two  steers  to  his  cart  when 
honest  mountain  folks  could  n't  afford  but  one.  Hit  was 
suspicioned,  moreover,  that  he  was  a-doin'  this  with  the  ill- 
got  gold  of  the  old  man  he  had  murdered,  and  the  gals 
shrugged  their  shoulders  as  he  passed,  for  no  one  of  the 
gals  as  knew  his  goin's-on  would  set  a  foot  in  his  cabin. 
It  leaked  out  some  way  that  Jo-siah  had  been  investin'  in 
books,  which  was  the  amazin'  and  crownin'  extravagance 
of  all,  for  hit  was  knowed  that  he  could  scarcely  read  a 
line  of  print  or  much  more  'n  write  his  own  name. 

"  These  unjust  suspicions  of  murder  and  robbery  against 
an  innocent  man  continued  to  rankle  in  the  minds  of  the 
valley  folks  for  more  than  two  years,  until  a  most  sur- 
prising event  took  place  on  the  mountain,  to  the  great  dis- 
appointment and  annoyance  of  those  gossips  who  had  been 
loudest  in  their  charges  against  Jo-siah  Woodring.  Hit 
happened  that  two  bear-hunters  from  the  settlement  found 
themselves  belated  in  the  neighborhood  of  this  very  bridge 
one  September  night,  and,  bein'  worn  out  with  the  chase, 
they  sat  down  to  rest  in  the  shadow  of  an  old  chestnut, 
where  they  soon  fell  asleep.  They  awoke  just  before  mid- 
night, and  were  about  to  start  on  down  the  mountain  when 
they  heard  footsteps  coming  up  the  trail,  and  presently, 
dark  as  the  night  was,  they  saw  a  man  with  a  keg  on  liis 


THE  OLD  MAN  OF   THE  MOUNTAIN  17 

shoulder  a-walkin'  toward  the  bridge.  The  man  was  Jo- 
siah ;  and  after  restin'  his  burden  on  a  stump  and  wipin' 
the  sweat  from  his  forehead,  he  shouldered  hit  again  and 
tramped  on  over  the  bridge. 

"  The  hunters  were  bold  men  and  well  armed,  and,  hav- 
ing had  a  good  rest,  they  followed  the  man  at  a  safe  dis- 
tance until  he  came  to  the  ledge  of  rocks  which  you-aU. 
will  view  for  yourselves  by  sun-up,  and  there  he  was  met 
by  a  man  with  a  ladder,  who  stood  out  on  the  rocks  above. 
The  hunters  noticed  that  the  stranger  was  a  small  man, 
and  just  then  the  moon  came  out  from  behind  a  cloud,  and 
they  knew  him  for  the  little  old  man  who  was  supposed  to 
have  been  murdered. 

"  When  the  hunters  told  what  they  'd  seen  on  the  moun- 
tain, you  may  believe,"  said  Andy, ''  there  was  right  smart 
excitement  in  Cashiers,  and  some  disappointment  to  find 
that  Jo-siah  was  neither  a  murderer  nor  a  robber.  They 
went  on  hating  him  aU  the  same  for  driving  two  steers  to 
his  cart  and  for  having  deceived  them  so  long  about  the 
man  on  the  mountain,  and  then  they  started  the  story 
that  he  was  feedin'  his  prisoner  on  whisky,  and  that  it 
was  only  a  slow  murder,  after  all.  After  that,  one  day, 
when  Jo-siah  had  gone  away  to  market,  half  a  dozen  of 
the  valley  men,  with  the  two  hunters  to  guide  them,  went 
up  the  mountain  for  the  purpose  of  liberating  that  poor 
prisoner  o'  Jo-siah's. 

"They  carried  a  ladder  along,  and  when  they  had 
climbed  up  the  ledge  they  found  a  little  log  shelter  not  fit 
for  a  sheep-hovel ;  and  as  for  the  prisoner,  he  kept  out  of 


18  THE   LAST   THKEE  SOLDIERS 

their  way,  for  it  was  a  pretty  big  place,  with  plenty  of 
trees  and  rocks  to  hide  among.  Well,  as  the  years  went 
on,  Jo-siah  brought  back  less  and  less  of  suspicious  pack- 
ages in  his  cart  when  he  came  up  from  the  low  country ; 
but  it  was  known  that  he  still  went  up  the  mountain  on 
certain  dark  nights  with  a  keg  on  his  shoulder.  The 
strange  old  man  himself  was  seen  at  a  distance  from  time 
to  time,  but  at  last  his  existence  on  the  mountain  came  to 
be  a  settled  fact,  and  the  people  ceased  to  worry  about  him. 

"Well,  five  years  ago,  as  I  said,"  continued  Andy, 
"  Jo-siah  took  sick  with  a  fever,  and  come  down  into  the 
settlement  to  see  the  doctor ;  and  he  was  that  bad  that  the 
doctor  had  to  go  back  with  him  to  drive  the  cattle.  He 
rallied  after  that  so  as  to  be  about  again,  and  even  out  at 
night ;  but  three  months  from  the  time  he  took  the  fever 
he  died.  The  doctor  was  with  him  at  the  time,  and  the 
night  before  he  breathed  his  last  he  told  the  doctor  that 
the  little  man  on  the  mountain  was  dead.  After  the  funeral 
another  party  went  up  to  the  top  of  the  mountain,  and,  sure 
enough,  there  was  the  grave,  just  outside  of  the  miserable 
shelter  he  had  lived  in  so  long ;  and  it  looks  like  he  did, 
sure  enough,  drink  liimseK  to  death,  for  there  was  no  sign 
about  the  hovel  that  he  ever  cooked  or  ate  ordinary  food. 

"  The  strangest  thing  about  the  whole  strange  business," 
said  Andy,  getting  on  to  his  feet,  "  is  that  there  was  noth- 
ing in  Jo-siah's  poor  cabin  worth  carrying  away ;  and  if 
the  old  man  did  n't  build  this  here  bridge  with  his  own 
hands  thirty  year  ago,  hit  stands  to  reason  that  he  helped 
Jo-siah." 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  MOUNTAIN  OF  THE  TWENTIETH  RED  PIN 

FORTNIGHT  before  the  events  described  in 
the  opening  chapter  of  this  story,  the  topo- 
graphical officer  attached  to  General  Sherman's 
headquarters  might  have  been  seen  leaning 
over  a  table  in  his  tent,  busily  engaged  in  sticking  red- 
headed pins  into  a  great  map  of  the  Cumberland  and 
Blue  Ridge  Mountains.  The  pins  made  an  iiTegular 
line,  beginning  at  Chattanooga,  and  extending  through 
Tennessee  and  North  Carolina  at  no  great  distance  from 
the  Georgia  border.  Altogether  there  were  just  twenty 
of  these  pins,  and  each  pin  pierced  the  top  of  a  moun- 
tain whose  position  and  altitude  were  laid  down  on  the 
map.  After  this  officer,  who  was  a  lieutenant-colonel, 
had  spent  half  the  night,  by  the  light  of  guttering  candles, 
in  arranging  and  rearranging  his  pins,  he  sent  in  the  morn- 
ing for  the  adjutant  of  a  regiment  of  loyal  mountaineers. 
Beginning  with  the  first  pin  outside  of  Chattanooga,  he 
requested  the  presence  of  a  mountaineer  who  lived  in  the 
neighborhood  of  that  particular  peak.    When  the  man  re- 

19 


20  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

ported,  the  colonel  questioned  Mm  about  the  accessibility 
of  the  mountain  under  the  first  pin,  its  distance  from  that 
under  the  second  pin,  and  whether  each  peak  was  plainly 
Adsible  from  the  other.  The  colonel's  questions,  which 
were  put  to  the  soldier  in  the  shade  of  the  fly  outside  the 
tent  where  the  map  lay,  brought  out  much  useful  inf oi-ma- 
tion,  and  much  more  that  was  of  no  use  whatever,  because 
half  the  questions  were  intended  to  mislead  the  soldier  and 
conceal  the  colonel's  purpose.  Sometimes  he  changed  a 
pin  after  the  soldier  went  away ;  and  at  the  end  of  three 
days  of  interviewing  and  shifting  the  positions  of  his  pins, 
the  twentieth  red  head  was  firmly  fixed  above  the  point 
laid  down  on  the  map  as  Whiteside  Mountain.  StOl  a 
little  farther  along  a  blue-headed  pin  was  set  up,  and  then 
the  work  of  the  topographical  officer  of  the  rank  of  lieu- 
tenant-colonel was  done. 

These  pins  represented  a  chain  of  signal-stations,  nine- 
teen of  which  the  captain  of  cavalry,  with  Andy  Zachaiy 
to  guide  him,  had  now  established  one  after  the  other, 
with  as  much  secrecy  as  the  lieutenant-colonel  had  em- 
ployed in  selecting  the  positions.  And  now  the  gray  dawn 
was  coming  on  the  side  of  the  twentieth  mountain  as  Andy 
finished  his  story.  In  fact,  as  the  last  word  fell  from  his 
lips  a  lusty  cock  tied  on  one  of  the  pack-saddles  set  up  a 
shrill  crow  to  welcome  the  coming  day.  Although  tall 
pines  grew  thick  about  the  bridge-head  where  the  troopers 
were  stiU  sleeping,  it  was  light  enough  to  see  that  only 
low  bushes  and  gnarled  chestnuts  grew  on  the  other  bank. 
The  noisy  branch  kept  up  its  ceaseless  churning  and 


THE  MOUNTAIN  OF   THE  TWENTIETH  RED  PIN     21 

splashing  among  the  rocks  far  down  in  the  throat  of  the 
black  gorge,  and  the  great  height  and  surprising  length 
of  its  single  span  made  the  crazy  old  bridge  look  more 
treacherous  than  ever.  It  swayed  and  trembled  with  the 
weight  of  the  captain  by  the  time  he  had  advanced  three 
steps  from  the  bank,  so  that  he  came  back  shaking  his 
head  in  alarm.  By  this  time  the  men  were  afoot,  and 
Andy  asked  for  an  ax,  which  at  the  first  stroke  he  buried 
to  its  head  in  the  rotten  string-piece. 

'^  Just  what  I  feared,"  said  the  captain.  "  Do  you  think 
I  am  going  to  trust  my  men  on  that  rotten  structure  ? " 

Andy  said  nothing  in  reply  as  he  kicked  off  with  his 
boot  a  huge  growth  of  toadstools,  together  with  the  bark 
and  six  inches  of  rotten  wood  from  the  opposite  side  of  the 
log.  Then  he  struck  it  again  with  the  head  of  the  ax  such 
a  blow  that  the  old  sticks  of  the  railing  and  great  sections 
of  bark  fell  in  a  shower  upon  the  tree-tops  below.  The 
guide  saw  only  consternation  in  the  faces  of  the  men  as  he 
looked  around,  but  there  was  a  smile  on  his  own. 

*'  Hit  may  be  old,"  said  Andy,  throwing  down  the  ax, 
"  but  there  is  six  inches  of  tough  heart  into  that  log,  and 
I  'd  trust  hit  with  a  yoke  o'  cattle."  With  that  he  strode 
across  to  the  other  side,  and  coming  back  jounced  his 
whole  weight  on  the  center,  with  only  the  effect  of  rattling 
another  shower  of  bark  and  dry  fungi  into  the  gorge. 

''  Bring  me  one  of  the  pack-mules,"  cried  Andy ;  and 
presently,  when  the  poor  brute  arrived  at  the  head  of  the 
old  causeway,  it  settled  back  on  its  stubborn  legs  and  re- 
fused to  advance.    At  this  the  guide  tied  a  grain-sack  over 


22  THE  LAST   THEEE   SOLDIERS 

the  animars  eyes  and  led  him  safely  across.  Lieutenant 
Coleman  led  over  the  second  mule  by  the  same  device,  and 
Bromley  the  third.  By  this  time  it  was  broad  daylight, 
and  the  captain  detailed  three  men  to  help  in  the  unpack- 
ing. These  he  sent  over  one  at  a  time,  so  that  after  him- 
self Phihp  was  the  last  to  cross. 

Beyond  was  an  open  field  where  blue  and  yellow  flowers 
grew  in  the  long,  wiry  grass,  which  was  wet  with  the  dew. 
This  grass  grew  up  through  a  thick  mat  of  dead  stalks, 
which  was  the  withered  growth  of  many  years.  Under  the 
trees  and  bushes  the  leaves  had  rotted  in  the  rain  where 
they  had  fallen,  or  in  the  hollows  where  they  had  been 
tossed  by  the  wandering  winds.  There  was  not  a  sign  of 
a  trail,  nor  a  gu'dled  tree,  nor  a  trace  of  fire,  nor  any 
evidence  that  the  foot  of  man  had  ever  trodden  there. 
The  httle  party  seemed  to  have  come  into  an  unknown 
country,  and  after  crossing  the  open  field  they  continued 
climbing  up  a  gentle  ascent,  winding  around  rocks  and 
scraggly  old  chestnut-trees,  until  they  arrived  under  the 
ledge  which  supported  the  upper  plateau.  This  was  found 
to  extend  from  the  boulder  face  on  the  Cove  side  across  to 
a  mass  of  shelving  rocks  on  the  Cashiers  valley  front,  and 
was  from  thirty  to  fifty  feet  in  height,  of  a  perpendicular 
and  bulging  fold  in  the  smooth  granite.  After  a  short 
exploration  a  place  was  found  where  the  ledge  was  broken 
by  a  shelf  or  platform  twenty  feet  from  the  ground ;  and 
just  here,  in  the  leaves  and  grass  below,  lay  the  rotted 
fragments  of  a  ladder  which  had  doubtless  been  used  by 
the  old  man  of  the  mountain  himself. 


CHAPTER  IV 

A  DAY  OF  DISCOVERIES 

■HILE  Andy,  with  the  help  of  the  detail,  was  cut- 
ting and  notching  the  timber  for  ladders,  the 
captain  and  the  three  young  soldiers  of  the 
station  made  a  breakfast,  standing,  from  their 
haversacks  and  canteens,  and  looked  about  them  over  the 
wild  country  at  their  feet,  and  off  at  the  blue  peaks  which 
rose  above  and  around  the  valley  of  Cashiers,  and  then  at 
the  ridges  in  the  opposite  direction,  drawn  like  huge  fur- 
rows across  the  western  horizon,  showing  fainter  and 
fainter  in  color  until  the  blue  of  the  land  was  lost  in  the 
blue  of  the  sky. 

The  men  worked  with  a  will,  so  that  by  ten  o'clock  the 
main  ladder,  which  was  just  a  chestnut  stick  deeply 
notched  on  the  outer  side,  was  firmly  set  in  the  ground 
against  the  face  of  the  cliff.  The  landing-shelf  was  found 
to  extend  into  a  natural  crevice,  so  that  the  short  upper 
ladder  was  set  to  face  the  bridge,  and  so  as  to  be  entirely 
concealed  from  the  view  of  any  one  approaching  from 
below, 

23 


24  THE  LAST   THEEE   SOLDIERS 

When  everything  was  in  readiness,  Lieutenant  Coleman 
was  the  first  to  ascend,  with  the  powerful  telescope  of  the 
station  strapped  on  his  shoulders ;  and  the  others  quickly 
followed,  except  the  three  troopers  who  remained  behind 
to  unpack  the  mules  and  bring  up  the  rations  and  outfit 
for  the  camp. 

At  the  point  where  they  landed  there  was  Httle  to  be 
seen  of  the  top  of  the  mountain  beyond  a  few  stunted 
chestnuts  which  clung  to  the  rocks  and  were  dwarfed  and 
twisted  by  the  wind ;  and  nearly  as  many  dead  blue  hmbs 
lay  about  in  the  thin  grass  as  there  were  live  green  ones 
forked  against  the  sky.  There  was  the  suggestion  of  a 
path  bearing  away  to  the  left,  and  following  this  they 
came  to  a  series  of  steps  in  the  rocks,  partly  natural  and 
partly  artificial,  which  brought  them  on  to  a  higher  level 
where  an  extended  plateau  was  spread  out  before  them. 
On  the  western  border  they  saw  the  line  of  trees  overhang- 
ing the  Cove  side— the  same  that  had  looked  like  berry- 
bushes  the  night  before  from  the  cabin  where  they  had 
halted  for  the  moon  to  go  down.  From  this  point  the 
crest  of  the  Upper  Bald  was  in  plain  view  across  the 
Cove,  but,  anxious  as  they  were  to  open  communication 
with  the  other  mountain,  the  flags  had  not  yet  come  up, 
and  there  was  nothing  left  for  them  to  do  but  continue 
their  exploration.  It  was  observed,  however,  that  the 
trees  overhanging  the  Cove  would  conceal  the  flagging 
operations  from  any  one  who  might  live  on  the  slopes  of 
the  mountains  in  that  direction,  and,  moreover,  that  by 
going  a  short  distance  along  the  ridge  to  the  right  a  fine 


'  LIEUTEXAXT  COLEMAX  WAS    THE    FIKST   TO  ASCEND,  WITH    THE    TELESCOPE    OF 
THE  STATION  STKAPPED  ON  HIS  SHOULDERS." 


A  DAY  OF  DISCOVERIES  27 

backing  of  dark  trees  would  be  behind  the  signal-men. 
Philip  would  have  scampered  off  to  explore  and  discover 
things  for  himself,  but  the  captain  restrained  him  and 
directed  that  the  party  should  keep  together.  Andy  car- 
ried  his  long  rifle,  and  Philip  and  Bromley  had  brought 
up  their  carbines,  so  that  they  were  prepared  for  any  game 
they  might  meet,  even  though  it  were  to  dispute  progress 
with  a  bear  or  panther.  Since  they  had  come  up  the 
ladders  the  region  was  all  quite  new  to  Andy,  and  he  no 
longer  pretended  to  guide  them. 

Back  from  the  last  ridge  the  ground  sloped  to  a  lower 
level,  much  of  which  was  bare  of  trees  and  so  protected 
from  the  wind  that  a  rich  soil  had  been  made  by  the  ac- 
cumulation and  decay  of  the  leaves.  At  other  points 
there  were  waving  grass  and  clumps  of  trees,  which  latter 
shut  off  the  view  as  they  advanced,  and  opened  up  new 
vistas  as  they  passed  beyond  them.  It  could  be  seen  in 
the  distance,  however,  that  the  southern  end  of  the  plateau 
was  closed  in  by  a  ledge  parallel  to  and  not  unlike  that 
which  they  had  already  scaled,  except  that  it  was  much 
more  formidable  in  height. 

There  was  a  stream  of  clear,  cold  water  that  was  found 
to  come  from  a  great  bubbling  spring.  It  broke  out  of 
the  base  of  this  southern  ledge,  and  after  flowing  for  some 
distance  diagonally  across  the  plateau  tumbled  over  the 
rocks  on  the  Cashiers  valley  side  and  disappeared  among 
the  trees. 

After  inspecting  this  new  ledge,  which  was  clearly  an 
impassable  barrier  in  that  direction,  and  as  effectually 

2* 


28  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

guarded  the  plateau  on  that  side  as  the  precipices  which 
formed  its  other  boundaries,  the  captain  and  his  party- 
turned  back  along  the  stream  of  water,  for  a  plentiful 
supply  of  water  was  more  to  be  prized  than  anything  they 
could  possibly  discover  on  the  mountain, 

"  There  is  one  thing,"  said  Andy,  as  they  walked  along 
the  left  bank  of  the  stream,  "  that  you-all  can  depend  no. 
Risin'  in  the  spring  as  hit  does,  that  branch  will  flow  on 
just  the  same,  summer  or  winter." 

"Probably,"  said  Lieutenant  Coleman;  "but  then,  you 
know,  we  are  not  concerned  about  next  winter." 

A  little  farther  on  a  rose-bush  overhung  the  bank,  and 
at  the  next  turn  they  found  a  grape-vine  trailing  its  green 
fruit  across  a  rude  trellis,  which  was  clearly  artificial.  A 
few  steps  more  and  they  came  to  a  foot-log  flattened  on 
the  top  ;  and,  although  it  tottered  under  them,  they  crossed 
to  the  other  side,  and  coming  around  a  clump  of  chinkapin- 
bushes,  they  found  themselves  at  the  door  of  a  poor  hut  of 
logs,  whose  broken  roof  was  open  to  the  rain  and  sun. 
The  neglected  fireplace  was  choked  with  leaves,  and  weeds 
and  bushes  grew  out  of  the  cracks  in  the  rotting  floor ; 
and,  surely  enough,  in  one  dry  corner  stood  the  very 
brown  keg  that  Josiah  Woodring  had  brought  up  the 
mountain.  In  the  midst  of  the  dilapidation  and  the  rot- 
ting wood  about  it,  it  was  rather  surprising  that  the  cask 
should  be  as  sound  as  if  it  were  new,  and  the  conclu- 
sion was  that  it  had  been  preserved  by  what  it  originally 
contained. 

Just  then  there  was  a  cry  from  PhiHp,  who  had  gone  to 


A  DAY  OF  DISCOVEEIES  29 

the  rear  of  the  hovel ;  and  he  was  found  by  the  others  lean- 
ing over  the  grave  of  the  old  man  of  the  mountain,  and 
staring  at  the  thick  oak  headboard,  which  bore  on  the  side 
next  the  cabin  these  words : 

ONE   WHO  WISHES   TO   BE   FORGiOTTEN. 

The  letters  were  incised  deep  in  the  hard  wood,  and  seemed 
to  have  been  cut  with  a  pocket-knife.  It  was  evident  from 
the  amount  of  patient  labor  expended  on  the  letters  that 
the  work  had  been  done  by  the  unhappy  old  man  himself, 
perhaps  years  before  he  died.  Of  course  it  had  been  set 
up  by  Josiah,  who  must  have  laid  him  in  his  last  resting- 
place. 

"  That  looks  like  Jo-siah  was  no  Har,  any  more  than  he 
was  a  murderer  and  robber,"  said  Andy  5  ''  and  if  the  little 
man  could  live  up  here  twenty-five  years,  I  reckon  you 
young  fellers  can  get  along  two  months." 

A  spot  for  camp  was  selected  a  few  rods  up  the  stream 
from  the  poor  old  cabin  and  grave.  This  was  at  a  con- 
siderable distance  from  the  ridge  where  the  station  was  to 
be,  but  it  had  two  advantages  to  balance  that  one  incon- 
venience. In  the  first  place,  it  was  near  the  water,  and 
then  no  smoke  from  the  cook-fire  would  ever  be  seen  in 
the  vaUey  below.  Accordingly,  the  stores  were  ordered  to 
be  brought  to  this  point,  and  Corporal  Bromley  hurried 
away  to  the  head  of  the  ladders  to  detain  such  articles  as 
would  be  needed  at  the  station  on  the  ridge.  Below  the 
ledge  the  mides  could  be  seen  quietly  browsing  the  grass, 
and,  to  the  annoyance  of  Lieutenant  Coleman,  a  blue  haze 


30  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

was  softly  enveloping  the  distant  mountains,  as  in  a  day 
in  Indian  summer,  so  that  it  was  no  longer  possible  to 
think  of  communicating  with  the  next  station,  which  was 
ten  miles  away. 

That  being  the  ease,  the  afternoon  was  spent  in  pitching 
the  tents  and  making  the  general  arrangements  of  the 
camp.  Owing  to  the  difficulty  of  transportation,  but  the 
barest  necessaries  of  camp  life  were  provided  by  the  gov- 
ernment ;  and,  notwithstanding  his  rank,  Lieutenant  Cole- 
man had  only  an  '^  A  "  tent,  and  Bromley  and  Philip  two 
pieces  of  shelter-tent  and  two  rubber  ponchos.  It  was 
quickly  decided  by  the  two  soldiers  to  use  their  pieces  of 
tent  to  mend  the  roof  of  the  hut  of  the  old  man  of  the 
mountain,  and  to  store  the  rations  as  well  as  to  make  their 
own  quarters  therein.  From  the  Commissary  Department 
their  supplies  for  sixty  days  consisted  precisely  of  four 
50-pound  boxes  of  hard  bread,  67  pounds  8  ounces  bacon, 
103  pounds  salt  beef,  27  pounds  white  beans,  27  pounds 
dry  peas,  18  pounds  rice,  12  pounds  roasted  and  ground 
coffee,  8  ounces  tea,  27  pounds  light-brown  sugar,  7  quarts 
vinegar,  21  pounds  4  ounces  adamantine  candles,  7  pounds 
4  ounces  bar  soap,  6  pounds  12  ounces  table-salt,  and  8 
ounces  pepper.  The  medical  chest  consisted  of  1  quart  of 
commissary  whisky  and  4  ounces  of  quinine.  Besides  the 
flags  and  telescope  for  use  on  the  station,  their  only  tools 
were  an  ax  and  a  hatchet.  On  ordinary  stations  it  was  the 
rule  to  furnish  lumber  for  building  platforms  or  towers, 
but  here  they  were  provided  with  only  a  coil  of  wire  and 
ten  pounds  of  nails,  and  if  platforms  were  necessary  to  get 


A  DAY  OF  DISCOVERIES  31 

above  the  surrounding  trees  they  must  rely  upon  such 
timber  as  they  could  get,  and  upon  the  ax  to  cut  away 
obstructions.  Fortunately  for  this  particular  station,  they 
could  occupy  a  commanding  ridge  and  send  their  messages 
from  the  ground. 

Philip  had  by  some  means  secured  a  garrison  flag,  which 
was  no  part  of  the  regular  equipment ;  and  through  Andy 
they  had  come  into  possession  of  a  dozen  live  chickens 
and  a  bag  of  corn  to  feed  them.  On  the  afternoon  before 
the  departure  of  the  troopers,  the  captain,  who  had  now 
estabhshed  the  last  of  the  line  of  stations,  confided  to 
Lieutenant  Coleman  his  final  directions  and  cautions. 
He  asked  Andy  to  point  out  Chestnut  Knob,  which  was 
the  mountain  of  the  blue  pin,  and  whose  bald  top  was  in 
full  view  to  the  right  of  Rock  Mountain,  and  not  more 
than  eight  miles  away  in  a  southeasterly  direction,  and,  as 
Andy  said,  just  on  the  border  of  the  low  country  in  South 
Carohna.  This  was  the  mountain,  the  captain  informed 
Lieutenant  Coleman,  from  which  in  due  time,  if  everything 
went  well  in  regard  to  a  certain  mihtary  movement,  he 
would  receive  important  messages  to  flag  back  along  the 
line. 

What  this  movement  was  to  be  was  still  an  official 
secret  at  headquarters,  and  Lieutenant  Coleman  would  be 
informed  by  flag  of  the  time  when  he  would  be  required 
to  be  on  the  lookout  for  a  communication  from  the  moun- 
tain of  the  blue  pin.  At  the  close  of  his  directions,  the 
captain,  standing  very  stiff  on  his  heels  and  holding  his 
cap  in  his  hand,  made  a  little  speech  to  Lieutenant  Cole- 


32  THE   LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

man,  in  which  he  complimented  him  for  his  loyalty  and 
patriotic  devotion  to  the  flag,  and  reminded  him  that  in 
assigning  him  to  the  last  station  the  commanding  general 
had  thereby  shown  that  he  reposed  especial  confidence  in 
the  coui'age,  honor,  and  integrity  of  Lieutenant  Frederick 
Henry  Coleman  of  the  12th  Cavalry,  and  in  the  intelli- 
gence and  obedience  of  the  young  men  who  were  asso- 
ciated with  him.  This  speech,  delivered  just  as  the 
shadows  were  deepening  on  the  lonely  mountain-top, 
touched  the  hearts  of  the  three  boys  who  were  so  soon  to 
be  left  alone,  and  was  not  a  whit  the  less  impressive  be- 
cause Andy  plucked  off  his  coonskin  cap  and  cried,  in  his 
homely  enthusiasm,  that  "  them  was  his  sentiments  to  the 
letter ! " 

It  was  understood  that  there  should  be  no  signaling  by 
night,  and  no  lights  had  been  provided  for  that  purpose ; 
so  that,  there  being  nothing  to  detain  them  on  the  plateau, 
they  decided  to  accompany  the  captain  and  Andy  back  to 
the  bridge  and  see  the  last  of  the  escort  as  it  went  down 
the  mountain. 

Two  of  the  troopers,  contrary  to  orders,  had  during  the 
day  been  as  far  as  the  deserted  cabin  of  Josiah  Woodring, 
and  one  of  these  beckoned  Philip  aside  and  told  him  where 
he  would  find  a  sack  of  potatoes  some  one  had  hidden 
away  on  the  other  side  of  the  gorge,  which,  with  much 
disgust,  he  described  as  the  only  booty  they  had  found 
worth  bringijig  away. 

So  great  is  the  love  of  adventure  among  the  young  that 
there  was  not  one  of  the  troopers  but  envied  his  three 


A  DAY  OF  DISCOVEEIES  33 

comrades  who  were  to  be  left  behind  on  the  mountain ;  but 
it  was  a  friendly  rivalry,  and,  in  view  of  the  possibilities 
of  wild  game,  they  insisted  upon  leaving  the  half  of  their 
cartridges,  which  were  gladly  accepted  by  Philip  and 
Bromley. 

The  moon  was  obscured  by  thick  clouds,  and  an  hour 
before  midnight  the  horses  were  saddled,  and  with  some 
serious,  but  more  jocular,  words  of  parting,  the  troopers 
started  on  the  march  down  the  mountain,  most  of  them 
hampered  by  an  additional  animal  to  lead.  The  captain 
remained  to  press  the  hand  of  each  of  the  three  young 
soldiers,  and  when  at  last  he  rode  away  and  they  turned 
to  cross  the  frail  old  bridge,  whose  unprotected  sides  could 
scarcely  be  distinguished  in  the  darkness,  they  began  to 
realize  that  they  were  indeed  left  to  their  own  resources, 
and  to  feel  a  trifle  lonely,  as  you  may  imagine. 

Before  leaving  that  side  of  the  gorge,  however.  Corporal 
Bromley  had  shouldered  their  precious  cartridges,  which 
had  been  collected  in  a  bag,  and  on  the  other  side  Philip 
secured  the  sack  of  potatoes ;  and  thus  laden  they  trudged 
away  across  the  open  field  and  among  the  rocks  and 
bushes,  guided  by  the  occasional  glimpses  they  had  of  the 
cliff  fringed  with  trees  against  the  leaden  sky.  It  was  of 
the  first  importance  that  the  cartridges  should  be  kept  dry, 
and  to  that  end  they  hurried  along  at  a  pace  which  scat- 
tered them  among  the  rocks  and  left  but  little  opportunity 
for  conversation.  Lieutenant  Coleman  was  in  advance, 
with  Philip's  carbine  on  his  arm ;  next  came  Corporal 
Bromley,  with  the  cartridges ;  and  a  hundred  yards  behind, 


34  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

Philip  was  stumbling  along  with  the  sack  of  potatoes  on 
his  shoulder.  They  had  advanced  in  this  order  until  the 
head  of  the  straggling  column  was  scarcely  more  than  a 
stone's  throw  from  the  cliff,  when  a  small  brown  object, 
moving  in  the  leaves  about  the  foot  of  the  ladder,  uttered 
a  low  growl  and  then  disappeared  into  the  deeper  shadow 
of  the  rock.  At  the  same  moment  the  rain  began  to  fall, 
and  Corporal  Bromley  stepped  one  side  to  throw  his  bag 
of  cartridges  into  the  open  trunk  of  a  hollow  chestnut. 
While  he  was  thus  engaged,  with  the  double  pui-pose  of 
freeing  his  hands  and  securing  the  cartridges  from  the 
possibility  of  getting  wet,  his  carbine  lying  on  the  ground 
where  he  had  hastily  thrown  it.  Lieutenant  Coleman  jBred 
at  random  at  the  point  where  he  had  indistinctly  seen  the 
moving  object.  The  darkness  had  increased  with  the 
rain,  and  as  the  report  of  the  carbine  broke  the  quiet  of 
the  mountain  a  shadowy  ball  of  fur  scampered  by  him, 
scattering  the  leaves  and  gravel  in  its  flight.  The  mys- 
terious object  passed  close  to  Bromley  as  he  was  groping 
about  for  his  weapon,  and  the  next  moment  there  was  a 
cry  from  Philip,  who  had  been  thi*own  to  the  ground  and 
his  potatoes  scattered  over  the  hillside. 

"Whatever  it  was,"  said  Philip,  when  he  presently 
came  up  laughing  at  his  mishap,  "■  I  don't  believe  it  eats 
potatoes,  and  I  will  gather  them  up  in  the  morning." 

As  it  was  too  dark  for  hunting,  and  the  cartridges  were 
in  a  safe  place.  Lieutenant  Coleman  and  Corporal  Bromley 
slung  their  carbines  and  followed  Philip,  who  was  the  first 
to  find  the  foot  of  the  ladder. 


A  DAY  OF  DISCOVERIES  35 

It  was  not  so  dark  but  that  they  made  their  way  safely 
to  the  camp,  and,  weary  with  the  labors  of  the  day,  they 
were  soon  fast  asleep  in  their  blankets,  unmindful  of  the 
rain  which  beat  on  the  "  A  "  tent  and  on  the  patched  roof 
of  the  cabin  of  the  old  man  of  the  mountain. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE   CIPHER   CODE 

|N  the  morning  of  July  4  the  sun  rose  in  a  cloud- 
less sky  above  the  mountains,  and  the  at- 
mosphere was  so  clear  that  the  most  remote 
objects  were  unusually  distinct.  The  condi- 
tions were  so  favorable  for  signaling  that,  after  a  hm-ried 
breakfast,  the  three  soldiers  hastened  to  the  point  on  the 
ridge  which  they  had  selected  for  a  station.  Corporal 
Bromley  took  position  with  a  red  flag  having  a  large  white 
square  in  the  center,  and  this  he  waved  slowly  from  right 
to  left,  while  Lieutenant  Coleman  adjusted  his  spy-glass, 
resting  it  upon  a  crotched  limb  which  he  had  driven  into 
the  ground ;  and  at  his  left  Philip  sat  with  a  note-book  and 
pencil  in  hand,  ready  to  take  down  the  letters  as  Lieutenant 
Coleman  called  them  off.  There  are  but  three  motions  used 
in  signaling.  When  the  flag  from  an  upright  position  is 
dipped  to  the  right,  it  signifies  1 ;  to  the  left,  2 ;  and  for- 
ward, 3.  The  last  motion  is  used  only  to  indicate  that  the 
end  of  the  word  is  reached.  Twenty-six  combinations  of 
the  figures  1  and  2  stand  for  the  letters  of  the  alphabet. 

36 


'COKPOKAL  BKOMLEY  TOOK  POSITION   WITH  A  KED  FLAG  HAVING  A  LARGE 
WHITE  SQUARE  IN  THE  CENTEE." 


THE  CIPHER  CODE 


39 


It  is  not  an  easy  task  to  learn  to  send  messages  by  these 
combinations  of  the  figures  1  and  2,  and  it  is  harder  still 
to  read  the  flags  miles  away  thi-ough  the  telescope.  The 
thi'ee  soldiers  had  had  much  practice,  however,  and  could 
read  the  funny  wigwag  motions  like  print.  K  any  two 
boys  care  to  learn  the  code,  they  can  telegraph  to  each 
other  from  hill  to  hiU,  or  from  farm  to  farm,  as  weU  as 
George  and  Philip.  You  wiU  see  that  the  vowels  and 
the  letters  most  used  are  made  with  the  fewest  motions— 
as,  one  dip  of  the  flag  to  the  left  (2)  for  I,  and  one  to  the 
right  (1)  for  T.  Z  is  four  motions  to  the  right  (1111) ;  and 
here  is  the  alphabet  as  used  in  the  signal-service : 


A, 


11, 


12, 


B,       1221, 


c, 

212, 

D, 

111, 

E, 

21, 

F, 

1112, 

G, 

1122, 

H, 

211, 

I, 

2, 

J, 

2211, 

K, 

1212, 

L, 

112, 

M, 

2112, 

N, 

22 

2121, 

Q, 

2122, 

R, 

122, 

s, 

121, 

T, 

1, 

u, 

221, 

V, 

2111, 

W, 

2212, 

X, 

1211, 

Y, 

222, 

z, 

1111, 

&, 

2222, 

ing, 

1121, 

tion,  2221. 

When  the  flag  stops  at  an  upright  position,  it  means  the 
end  of  a  letter— as,  twice  to  the  right  and  stop  (11)  means 
A ;  one  dip  forward  (3)  indicates  the  end  of  a  word ;  33, 


40  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

the  end  of  a  sentence ;  333,  the  end  of  a  message.  Thus 
11-11-11-3  means  "All  right;  we  understand  over  here; 
go  ahead";  and  11-11-11-333  means  "Stop  signaling." 
Then  212-212-212-3  means  "  Repeat ;  we  don't  understand 
what  you  are  signaling";  while  12-12-12-3  means  "We 
have  made  an  error,  and  if  you  will  watch  we  will  give  the 
message  to  you  correctly." 

Now,  if  Lieutenant  Coleman  wanted  to  say  to  another 
signal-oflBcer  "  Send  one  man,"  the  sentence  would  read  in 
figures,  "  121,  21,  22,  111,  3,  12,  22,  21,  3,  2112, 11,  22,  33." 
But  in  time  of  war  the  signalmen  of  the  enemy  could  read 
such  messages,  and  so  each  party  makes  a  cipher  code 
of  its  own,  more  or  less  difficult;  and  the  code  is  often 
changed.  So  if  Lieutenant  Coleman's  cipher  code  was 
simply  to  use  for  each  letter  sent  the  fourth  letter  later  in 
the  alphabet,  his  figures  would  have  been  quite  different, 
and  the  letters  they  stood  for  would  have  read : 

W-i-r-li  s-r-i   q-e-r. 
S-e-n-d  o-n-e  m-a-n. 

So,  after  fifteen  minutes  of  waiting,  during  which  time  the 
flag  in  Corporal  Bromley's  hand  made  a  great  rustling  and 
flapping  in  the  wind,  moving  from  side  to  side.  Lieutenant 
Coleman  got  his  glass  on  the  other  flag,  ten  miles  away, 
and  found  it  was  waving  11-11-11-3— "All  right."  Cor- 
poral Bromley  then  sent  back  the  same  signal,  and  sat 
down  on  the  bank  to  rest.  What  Lieutenant  Coleman 
saw  at  that  distance  was  a  little  patch  of  red  dancing 
about  on  the  object-glass  of  his  telescope ;  he  could  not  see 


THE  CIPHER  CODE  41 

even  the  man  who  waved  it,  or  the  trees  behind  him. 
Promptly  at  Bromley's  signal  "All  right,"  the  little  object 
came  to  a  rest ;  and  when  it  presently  began  again,  Lieu- 
tenant Coleman  called  off  the  letters,  which  Philip  repeated 
as  he  entered  them  in  the  book.  For  an  hour  and  a  half 
the  messages  continued  repeating  all  the  mass  of  figures 
which  had  come  over  the  line  during  the  last  three  days. 

When  the  mountain  of  the  nineteenth  red  pin  had  said 
its  say  as  any  parrot  might  have  done,  for  it  was  abso- 
lutely ignorant  of  the  meaning  of  the  figures  it  received 
and  passed  on  (for  the  reason  that  it  had  no  of&eer  with 
the  cipher).  Lieutenant  Coleman  took  from  his  pocket  a 
slip  of  paper  on  which  he  had  already  arranged  his  return 
message  to  Chattanooga.  When  this  had  been  despatched, 
the  lieutenant  took  the  note-book  from  Philip,  and  went 
away  to  his  tent  to  cipher  out  the  meaning  of  the  still 
meaningless  letters. 

They  were  sufficiently  eager  to  get  the  latest  news,  for 
they  knew  that  the  army  they  had  just  left  had  been  ad- 
vancing its  works  and  fighting  daily  since  the  twenty- 
second  day  of  June  for  the  possession  of  Kenesaw 
Mountain.  The  despatches  were  translated  in  the  order 
in  whicb  they  came,  so  that  it  was  a  good  half -hour  before 
Lieutenant  Coleman  appeared  with  a  radiant  face  to  say 
that  General  Sherman  had  taken  possession  of  Kenesaw 
Mountain  on  the  day  before.  "  And  that  is  not  all,"  he 
cried,  holding  up  his  hand  to  restrain  any  premature  out- 
burst of  enthusiasm.  "  Listen  to  this  !  '  The  "  Alabama  " 
was  sunk  by  the  United  States  steamer  ''  Kearsarge "  on 


42  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

the  nineteentli  day  of  June,  three  miles  outside  the  harbor 
of  Cherbourg,  on  the  coast  of  France.' " 

Corporal  Bromley  was  not  a  demonstrative  man,  yet  the 
blood  rushed  to  his  face,  and  there  was  a  glittering  light 
in  his  eyes  which  told  how  deeply  the  news  touched  him ; 
but  Philip,  on  the  contrary,  was  wild  with  delight,  and 
danced  and  cheered  and  turned  somersaults  on  the  grass. 


CHAPTER  VI 

MESSAGES  OF  DIRE  DISASTERS 

■HAT  a  pity,"  cried  Philip,  "  that  the  boys  on  the 
next  mountain  should  be  left  in  ignorance  of 
these  victories  when  we  could  so  easily  send 
them  the  news  without  using  the  cipher— and 
this  the  Fourth  of  July,  too  !  " 

That  form  of  communication,  however,  was  strictly  for- 
bidden by  the  severe  rules  of  the  service,  and  it  was  the 
fate  of  Number  19  to  remain  in  the  dark,  like  all  the 
other  stations  on  the  line,  except  the  first  and  tenth  and 
their  own,  which  alone  were  in  charge  of  commissioned 
officers  who  held  the  secret  of  the  cipher. 

The  news  of  the  destruction  of  the  "  Alabama,"  which 
had  been  the  terror  of  the  National  merchant-vessels  for 
two  years,  was  of  the  highest  importance,  and  would  cause 
great  rejoicing  throughout  the  North.  Although  the 
battle  with  the  ''  Kearsarge  "  had  taken  place  on  June  19, 
it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  this  period  was  before  the 
permanent  laying  of  the  Atlantic  cable,  and  European 
news  was  seven  and  eight  days  in  crossing  the  ocean  by 

43 


44  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

the  foreign  steamers,  and  might  be  three  days  late  before 
it  started  for  this  side,  in  case  of  an  event  which  had  hap- 
pened three  days  before  the  sailing  of  the  steamer.  After 
several  unsuccessful  attempts,  a  cable  had  been  laid  be- 
tween Europe  and  America  in  1858,  three  years  before  the 
beginning  of  the  great  war,  and  had  broken  a  few  weeks 
after  some  words  of  congratulation  had  passed  between 
Queen  Victoria  and  President  Buchanan.  Some  people 
even  believed  that  the  messages  had  been  invented  by  the 
cable  company,  and  that  telegraphic  communication  had 
never  been  established  at  all  along  the  bed  of  the  ocean. 
At  all  events,  news  came  by  steamer  in  war-times,  and 
so  it  happened  that  these  soldiers,  who  had  been  three 
days  in  the  wilderness,  heard  with  great  joy  on  July  4  of 
the  sinking  of  the  "Alabama,"  which  happened  on  the 
coast  of  France  on  June  19. 

The  garrison  flag  was  raised  on  a  pole  over  the  '*  A " 
tent,  and  the  day  was  given  up  to  enjoyment,  which  ended 
in  supping  on  a  roast  fowl,  with  such  garnishings  as  their 
limited  larder  would  furnish.  On  this  occasion  Lieutenant 
Coleman  waived  his  rank  so  far  as  to  preside  at  the  head 
of  the  table,— which  was  a  cracker-box,— and  after  the 
feast  they  walked  together  to  the  station  and  sat  on  the 
rocks  in  the  moonlight  to  discuss  the  military  situation. 

If  General  Grant  had  met  with  some  rebuffs  in  his 
recent  operations  against  Petersburg  in  Virginia,  he  was 
steadily  closing  his  iron  grasp  on  that  city  and  Richmond ; 
and  not  one  of  these  intensely  patriotic  young  men  for 
a  moment  doubted  the  final  outcome.     Philip  and  Lieu- 


MESSAGES  OF  DIRE  DISASTERS  45 

tenant  Coleman  had  been  much  depressed  by  the  recent 
disaster,  and  the  news  of  the  morning  greatly  raised  their 
spirits.  If  Bromley  was  less  excitable  than  his  compan- 
ions, the  impressions  he  received  were  more  enduring; 
but,  on  the  other  hand,  he  would  be  slower  to  recover 
from  a  great  disappointment. 

"  The  reins  are  in  a  firm  hand  at  last,"  said  Lieutenant 
Coleman,  referring  to  the  control  then  recently  assumed 
by  General  Grant,  "  and  now  everj^thing  is  bound  to  go 
forward.  With  Grant  and  Sheridan  at  Richmond,  Farra- 
gut  thundering  on  the  coast,  the  ^  Alabama'  at  the  bottom 
of  the  sea,  and  •Uncle  Billy  forcing  his  lines  nearer  and 
nearer  to  Atlanta,  we  are  making  brave  progress.  I  be- 
lieve, boys,  the  end  is  in  sight." 

"  Amen  !  "  said  Corporal  Bromley. 

"  Hurrah !  "  cried  Philip. 

"You  boys,"  continued  Lieutenant  Coleman,  "have  en- 
listed for  three  years,  while  I  have  been  educated  to  the 
profession  of  arms ;  but  if  this  rebellion  is  not  soon  put 
down  I  shall  be  ashamed  of  my  profession  and  leave  it  for 
some  more  respectable  calling." 

So  they  continued  to  talk  untU  late  into  the  night, 
cheered  by  the  good  news  they  had  heard,  and  very  hopeful 
of  the  future. 

The  following  day  was  foggy,  and  Phihp  went  down  the 
ladder  to  bring  up  the  potatoes,  which  he  had  quite  for- 
gotten in  the  excitement  of  the  day  before.  Bromley,  too, 
paid  a  visit  to  the  tree  where  he  had  thrown  in  the  car- 
tridges ;  but  the  opening  where  he  had  cast  in  the  sack  was 


46  THE   LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

SO  far  from  the  ground  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  use 
the  ax  to  recover  it,  and  as  he  could  find  no  drier  or  safer 
storehouse  for  the  extra  ammunition,  he  was  content  to 
leave  it  there  for  the  present.  Lieutenant  Coleman  busied 
himseK  in  writing  up  the  station  journal  in  a  blank-book 
provided  for  that  purpose. 

When  Philip  found  his  potatoes,  which  had  been  scat- 
tered on  the  ground  where  he  had  been  thrown  down  in 
the  darkness  by  the  mysterious  little  animal,  he  was  at 
first  disposed  to  leave  them,  for  they  were  so  old  and 
shrunken  and  small  that  he  began  to  think  the  troopers 
had  been  playing  a  joke  on  him.  But  when  he  looked 
again,  and  saw  the  small  sprouts  peeping  out  of  the  eyes, 
a  new  idea  came  to  him,  and  he  gathered  them  carefully 
up  in  the  sack.  He  bethought  himself  of  the  rich  earth  in 
the  warm  hollow  of  the  plateau,  where  the  sun  lay  all  day, 
and  where  vegetation  was  only  smothered  by  the  coating 
of  dead  leaves;  and  he  saw  the  delightful  possibility  of 
having  new  potatoes,  of  his  own  raising,  before  they  were 
relieved  from  duty  on  the  mountain.  What  better  amuse- 
ment could  they  find  in  the  long  summer  days,  after  the 
morning  messages  were  exchanged  on  the  station,  than  to 
cultivate  a  small  garden?  If  he  had  had  the  seeds  of 
flowers,  he  might  have  thrown  away  the  wilted  potatoes ; 
but  next  to  the  cultivation  of  flowers  came  the  fruits  of 
the  earth,  and  if  his  plantation  never  yielded  anything,  it 
would  be  a  pleasure  to  watch  the  vines  grow.  Lieutenant 
Coleman  readily  gave  his  consent ;  and,  after  raking  off 
the  carpet  of  leaves  with  a  forked  stick,  the  soft,  rich  soil 


MESSAGES  OF  DIRE  DISASTERS  47 

lay  exposed  to  the  sun,  so  deep  and  mellow  that  a  piece  of 
green  wood,  flattened  at  the  end  like  a  wedge,  was  suffi- 
cient to  stir  the  earth  and  make  it  ready  for  planting. 
Philip  cut  the  potatoes  into  small  pieces,  as  he  had  seen 
the  farmers  do,  and  with  the  help  of  the  others,  who  be- 
came quite  interested  in  the  work,  the  last  piece  was  buried 
in  the  ground  before  sundown. 

On  the  following  morning  the  flags  announced  that,  in 
a  cavalry  raid  around  Petersburg,  General  Wilson  had 
destroyed  sixty  miles  of  railroad,  and  that  forty  days  would 
be  requii'ed  to  repair  the  damage  done  to  the  Danville  and 
Richmond  road.  During  the  next  three  days  there  was  no 
news  worth  recording,  and  the  fever  of  gardening  having 
taken  possession  of  Philip,  he  planted  some  of  the  corn 
they  had  brought  up  for  the  chickens,  and  a  row  each  of 
the  peas  and  beans  from  their  army  rations. 

The  10th  of  July  was  Sunday,  the  first  since  they  had 
been  left  alone  on  the  mountain ;  and  Lieutenant  Coleman 
required  his  subordinates  to  clean  up  about  the  camp,  and 
at  nine  o'clock  he  put  on  his  sword  and  inspected  quar- 
ters like  any  company  commander.  After  this  ceremony, 
PhUip  read  a  psalm  or  two  from  his  prayer-book,  and 
Corporal  Bromley  turned  over  the  pages  of  the  Blue  Book, 
which  was  the  Revised  Army  Regulations  of  1863.  These 
two  works  constituted  their  limited  library. 

There  was  a  dearth  of  news  in  the  week  that  followed, 
and  what  little  came  was  depressing  to  these  enthusiastic 
young  men,  to  whom  the  temporary  inactivity  of  the  army 
which  they  had  just  left  was  insupportable. 


48  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

On  Monday  morning,  however,  came  the  cheering  news 
that  General  Sherman's  army  was  again  in  motion,  and 
had  completed  the  crossing  of  the  Chattahoochee  River 
the  evening  before. 

On  the  19th  they  learned  that  General  Sherman  had 
established  his  lines  within  five  miles  of  Atlanta,  and  that 
the  Confederate  general  Johnston  had  been  relieved  by 
General  Hood. 

The  messages  by  flag  were  received  every  day,  when  the 
weather  was  favorable,  between  the  hours  of  nine  and  ten 
in  the  morning ;  and  now  that  the  campaign  had  reopened 
with  such  promise  of  continued  activity,  the  days,  and 
even  the  nights,  dragged,  so  feverish  was  the  desire  of  the 
soldiers  to  hear  more.  They  wandered  about  the  mountain- 
top  and  discussed  the  military  situation ;  but,  if  anything 
more  than  another  tended  to  soothe  their  nerves,  it  was 
the  sight  of  their  garden,  in  which  the  corn  and  potatoes 
were  so  far  advanced  that  each  day  seemed  to  add  visibly 
to  their  growth. 

On  the  morning  of  the  21st  they  learned  that  Hood  had 
assaulted  that  flank  of  the  intrenched  line  which  was  com- 
manded by  General  Hooker,  and  that  in  so  doing  the  enemy 
had  been  three  times  gallantly  repulsed.  The  new  Con- 
federate general  was  less  prudent  than  the  old  one,  and 
they  chuckled  to  think  of  the  miles  of  log  breastworks 
they  knew  so  well,  at  which  he  was  hurling  his  troops. 
General  Sherman  was  their  military  idol,  and  they  knew 
how  weU  satisfied  he  would  be  with  this  change  in  the 
tactics  of  the  enemy. 


MESSAGES  OF  DIRE  DISASTERS  49 

By  this  time  it  had  become  their  habit  to  remain  near 
the  station  while  Lieutenant  Coleman  figured  out  the 
messages,  each  of  which  he  read  aloud  as  soon  as  he  com- 
prehended its  meaning. 

On  Saturday  morning,  July  23,  while  Corporal  Bromley 
leaned  stolidly  on  his  flagstaff,  and  Philip  walked  about 
impatiently.  Lieutenant  Coleman  jumped  up  and  read  from 
the  paper  he  held  in  his  hand : 

"  Hood  attacked  again  yesterday.  Repulsed  with  a  loss 
of  seven  thousand  killed  and  wounded." 

With  no  thought  of  the  horrible  meaning  of  these  for- 
midable figures  to  the  widows  and  orphans  of  the  men 
who  had  fallen  in  this  gallant  charge,  Philip  and  Bromley 
cheered  and  cheered  again,  while  the  lieutenant  sat  down 
to  decipher  the  next  message.  When  he  had  mastered  it 
the  paper  fell  from  his  hands.  He  was  speechless  for  the 
moment. 

"What  is  it?"  said  Philip,  turning  pale  with  the  cer- 
tainty of  bad  news. 

"General  McPherson  is  killed,"  said  Lieutenant  Cole- 
man. 

Now,  so  strangely  are  the  passions  of  men  wrought  up 
in  the  time  of  war  that  these  three  hot-headed  young 
partizans  were  quick  to  shed  tears  over  the  death  of  one 
man,  though  the  destruction  of  a  great  host  of  their  ene- 
mies had  filled  their  hearts  only  with  a  fierce  delight. 

During  the  Sunday  which  followed  there  was  a  feeling 
of  gloomy  foreboding  on  the  mountain,  and  under  it  a 
fierce  desire  to  hear  what  should  come  next. 


50  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

On  Monday  morning,  July  25,  the  sun  rose  in  a  cloud- 
less sky,  bathing  the  trees  and  all  the  distant  peaks  with 
cheerful  light,  while  at  the  altitude  of  the  station  his  al- 
most vertical  rays  were  comfortable  to  feel  in  the  cool 
breeze  which  blew  across  the  plateau.  Lieutenant  Cole- 
man glanced  frequently  at  the  face  of  his  watch,  and  the 
instant  the  hands  stood  at  nine  Philip  began  waving  the 
flag.  There  was  no  response  from  the  other  mountain  for 
so  long  a  time  that  Corporal  Bromley  came  to  his  relief, 
and  the  red  flag  with  a  white  center  continued  to  beat  the 
air  with  a  rushing  and  fluttering  sound  which  was  painful 
in  the  silence  and  suspense  of  waiting. 

When  at  last  the  little  flag  appeared  on  the  object-glass 
of  the  telescope,  it  spelled  but  seven  words  and  then  dis- 
appeared. Philip  uttered  an  exclamation  of  surprise  at 
the  brevity  of  the  message,  while  Bromley  wiped  the  per- 
spiration from  his  forehead  and  waited  where  he  stood. 

In  another  minute  Lieutenant  Coleman  had  translated 
the  seven  words,  but  even  in  that  brief  time  Corporal 
Bromley,  whose  eyes  were  fixed  on  his  face,  detected  the 
deathly  pallor  which  spread  over  his  features.  The  young 
officer  looked  with  a  hopeless  stare  at  his  corporal,  and 
without  uttering  a  word  extended  his  hand  with  the  scrap 
of  paper  on  which  he  had  written  the  seven  words  of  the 
message. 

Bromley  took  it,  while  Philip  ran  eagerly  forward  and 
looked  tremb]ingly  over  his  comrade's  shoulder. 

The  seven  words  of  the  message  read : 

"  General  Sherman  was  killed  yesterday  before  Atlanta." 


CHAPTER  VII 

IN   WHICH    THE  THREE   SOLDIERS  MAKE 
A    REMARKABLE    RESOLUTION 

f lEUTENANT  COLEMAN,  although  stunned  by 
the  news  conveyed  by  the  seven  words  of  the 
message,  as  soon  as  he  could  reopen  commu- 
nication with  the  other  mountain,  telegraphed 
back  to  Lieutenant  Swann,  in  command  of  the  tenth 
station : 

"Is  there  no  mistake  in  flagging  General  Sherman's 
death?" 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  the  return  message 
came,  which  read  as  follows : 

"  None.  I  have  taken  the  same  precaution  to  telegraph 
back  to  the  station  at  Chattanooga. 

"  Lieutenant  James  Swann,  U.  S.  A." 

After  this,  and  the  terrible  strain  of  waiting.  Lieutenant 
Coleman  and  Corporal  Bromley  walked  away  in  different 
directions  on  the  mountain-top;   and  poor  Philip,  left 

51 


52  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

alone,  sat  down  on  the  ground  and  burst  into  tears  over 
the  death  of  his  favorite  general.  He  saw  nothing  but 
gloom  and  disaster  in  the  future.  What  would  the  old 
army  do  without  its  brilliant  leader  ? 

And,  sure  enough,  on  the  following  morning  came  the 
news  that  the  heretofore  victorious  army  was  falling  back 
across  the  Chattahoochee ;  and  another  despatch  confirmed 
the  death  of  General  Sherman,  who  had  been  riding  along 
his  lines  with  a  single  orderty  when  he  was  shot  through 
the  heart  by  a  sharp-shooter  of  the  enemy. 

Every  morning  after  that  the  three  soldiers  went  up  to 
the  station  at  the  appointed  hour,  expecting  only  bad  news, 
and,  without  fail,  only  bad  news  came.  They  learned  that 
the  baffled  army  in  and  about  Marietta  was  being  re- 
organized by  General  Thomas ;  but  the  ray  of  hope  was 
quenched  in  their  hearts  a  few  days  later,  when  the  news 
came  that  General  Grant  had  met  with  overwhelming  dis- 
aster before  Richmond,  and,  like  McClellan  before  him, 
was  fighting  his  way  back  to  his  base  of  supplies  at  City 
Point. 

One  day— it  was  August  6— there  came  a  message  from 
the  chief  signal-office  at  Chattanooga  directing  them  to 
remain  at  their  posts,  at  all  hazards,  until  further  orders ; 
and,  close  upon  this,  a  report  that  General  Grant's  army 
was  rapidly  concentrating  on  Washington  by  way  of  the 
Potomac  River. 

They  had  no  doubt  that  the  swift  columns  of  Lee  were 
already  in  motion  overland  toward  the  National  capital, 
and  they  were  not  likely  to  be  many  days  behind  the 


'POOE  PHILIP,  LEFT  ALONE,  BURST  INTO  TEAES." 


A  REMARKABLE  RESOLUTION  55 

Federal  army  in  concentrating  at  that  point.  Rumors  of 
foreign  intei-vention  followed  quick  on  the  heels  of  this 
disheartening  news,  and  on  August  10  came  a  despatch 
which,  being  interpreted,  read  :  "  Yesterday,  after  a  forced 
march  of  incredible  rapidity,  Longstreet's  corps  crossed 
the  Upper  Potomac  near  the  Chain  Bridge,  and  captured 
two  forts  to  the  north  of  Rock  Creek  Church.  At  daylight 
on  August  9,  after  tearing  up  a  section  of  the  Baltimore 
and  Ohio's  tracks,  a  column  of  cavalry  under  Fitzhugh 
Lee  captured  a  train-load  of  the  government  archives, 
bound  for  Philadelphia." 

Thus  on  the  very  day  when  General  Sherman  was  bom- 
barding the  city  of  Atlanta,  and  when  everything  was 
going  well  with  the  National  cause  elsewhere,  these  mis- 
guided young  men  were  brought  to  the  verge  of  despair 
by  some  mysterious  agency  which  was  cunningly  falsify- 
ing the  daily  despatches.  Nothing  more  melancholy  can 
be  conceived  than  the  entries  made  at  this  time  by  Lieu- 
tenant Coleman  in  the  station  diary. 

Returning  to  the  entry  of  July  26,  which  was  the  day 
following  that  on  which  they  had  received  information 
of  the  death  of  General  Sherman,  the  unhappy  officer 
writes : 

"  My  men  are  intensely  patriotic,  and  the  despatch  came 
to  each  of  us  like  a  personal  blow.  Its  effect  on  my  two 
men  was  an  interesting  study  of  character.  Corporal 
Bromley  is  a  Harvard  man,  having  executive  ability  as 
well  as  education  far  above  his  humble  rank,  who  entered 


56  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

the  service  of  liis  country  at  the  first  call  to  arms  without 
a  thought  for  his  personal  advantage.  He  is  a  man  of 
high  courage,  and  if  he  has  a  fault,  it  is  a  too  outspoken 
intolerance  of  the  failures  of  his  superiors.  Private  Wel- 
ton  is  of  a  naturally  refined  and  sensitive  nature,  and  at 
fii'st  he  seemed  wholly  cowed  and  broken  in  spirit.  Brom- 
ley, on  the  other  hand,  as  he  strode  away  from  the  station, 
showed  a  countenance  livid  with  rage. 

"After  supper,  for  we  take  our  meals  apart,  I  invited 
the  men  to  my  tent,  and  we  sat  out  in  the  moonlight  to 
discuss  the  probable  situation.  We  talked  of  the  over- 
whelming news  until  late  in  the  evening,  and  then  sat  for 
a  time  in  silence  in  the  shadow  of  the  chestnut-trees,  look- 
ing out  at  the  dazzling  whiteness  of  the  mountain-top 
before  retiring,  each  to  his  individual  sorrow." 

In  the  entry  for  August  6,  after  commenting  somewhat 
bitterly  on  the  report  of  the  defeat  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  Lieutenant  Coleman  says,  with  reference  to  the 
despatch  from  the  chief  signal-of&cer  of  the  same  date : 

"The  situation  at  this  station  is  such,  owing  to  our 
ignorance  of  the  sentiment  of  the  mountaineers  and  the 
hazard  of  visiting  them  in  uniform,  that  I  find  a  grave 
difficulty  confronting  me,  which  must  be  provided  for  at 
once.  Our  guide  to  this  point  has  returned  to  Tennessee 
with  the  cavalry  escort,  and  I  have  now  reason  deeply  to 
regret  that  he  was  not  required  to  put  us  in  communica- 
tion with  some  trustworthy  Union  men.     The  issue  of 


A   REMARKABLE   RESOLUTION  57 

commissary  stores  is  reduced  from  this  date  to  half -rations, 
and  we  shall  begin  at  once  to  eke  out  our  daily  portion  by 
such  edibles  as  we  can  find  on  the  mountain.  Huckle- 
berries are  abundant  in  the  field  above  the  bridge,  and  the 
men  are  ah*eady  counting  on  the  wild  mandrakes. 

*'  August  8.  Nothing  cheering  to  brighten  the  gloom  of 
continued  defeat  and  disaster.  The  necessity  of  procuidng 
everything  edible  within  our  reach  keeps  my  men  busy 
and  affords  them  something  to  think  of  besides  the  dis- 
asters to  the  National  armies.  Welton  discovered  to-day 
four  fresh-laid  eggs,  snugly  hidden  in  a  nest  of  leaves, 
under  a  clump  of  chestnut  sprouts,  interwoven  with  dry 
grasses,  three  of  which  he  brought  in." 

These  entries  referring  to  trivial  things  are  interesting 
as  showing  the  temper  of  the  men,  and  how  they  employed 
their  time  at  this  critical  period. 

On  August  18  came  a  despatch  that  the  Army  of  North- 
ern Virginia  was  entering  Washington  without  material 
opposition.  Lieutenant  Coleman,  in  a  portion  of  his  diary 
for  this  date,  says : 

"  After  a  prolonged  state  of  anger,  during  which  he  has 
commented  bitterly  on  the  conduct  of  affairs  at  Washing- 
ton, Corporal  Bromley  has  settled  into  a  morose  and  ir- 
ritable mood,  in  which  no  additional  disaster  disturbs  him 
in  the  slightest  degree.  With  his  fine  perceptions  and 
well-trained  mind,  the  natural  result  of  a  liberal  education, 
I  have  found  him  heretofore  a  most  interesting  companion 


58  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

in  hours  off  duty.     My  situation  is  made  doubly  intoler- 
able by  his  present  condition." 

At  9 :  30  A.  M,  of  August  20,  1864,  came  the  last  des- 
patches that  were  received  by  the  three  soldiers  on  White- 
side Mountain. 

"  Hold  on  for  immediate  relief.  Peace  declared.  Con- 
federate States  are  to  retain  Washington." 

The  effect  of  this  last  message  upon  the  J^oung  men  who 
received  it  is  fully  set  forth  in  the  diary  of  the  following 
day,  and  no  later  account  could  afford  so  vivid  a  picture 
of  the  remarkable  events  recorded  by  Lieutenant  Coleman : 

'' August  21,  1864.  The  messages  of  yesterday  were 
flagged  with  the  usual  precision,  and  we  have  no  reason 
to  doubt  their  accuracy.  Indeed,  what  has  happened  was 
expected  by  us  so  confidently  that  the  despatches  as  trans- 
lated by  me  were  received  in  silence  by  my  men  and  with- 
out any  evidence  of  excitement  or  surprise.  I  myself  felt 
a  sense  of  relief  that  the  inevitable  and  disgraceful  end 
had  come. 

"Last  evening  was  a  memorable  occasion  to  the  three 
men  on  this  mountain.  We  are  no  longer  separated  by 
any  difference  in  rank,  having  mutually  agreed  to  waive 
all  such  conditions.  In  presence  of  such  agreement,  I, 
Frederick  Henry  Coleman,  Second  Lieutenant  in  the  12th 
Regiment  of  Cavalry  of  the  military  forces  of  the  United 
States  (formerly  so  caDed),  have  this  day,  August  21, 1864, 


A  REMARKABLE  RESOLUTION  59 

written  my  resignation  and  sealed  and  addressed  it  to  the 
Adjutant-General,  wherever  he  may  be.  I  am  fully  aware 
that,  until  the  document  is  forwarded  to  its  destination, 
only  some  power  outside  myself  can  terminate  my  ofiicial 
connection  with  the  army,  and  that  my  personal  act  oper- 
ates only  to  divest  me  of  rank  in  the  estimation  of  my 
companions  in  exile. 

"  After  our  supper  last  night  we  walked  across  the  field 
in  front  of  our  quarters  and  around  to  the  point  where 
the  northern  end  of  the  plateau  joins  the  rocky  face  of  the 
mountain.  The  sun  had  already  set  behind  the  opposite 
ridge,  and  the  gathering  shadows  among  the  rocks  and 
under  the  trees  added  a  further  color  of  melancholy  to  our 
gloomy  and  foreboding  thoughts. 

"  I  am  forced  to  admit  that  I  have  not  been  the  domi- 
nant spirit  in  the  resolution  at  which  we  have  arrived. 
George  Bromley  had  several  times  asserted  that  he 
would  never  return  to  a  disgraced  and  divided  country. 
At  the  time  I  had  regarded  his  words  as  only  the  irrespon- 
sible expression  of  excitement  and  passion. 

"  As  we  stood  together  on  the  hill  last  night,  Bromley 
reverted  to  this  subject,  speaking  with  unusual  calmness 
and  deliberation.  '  For  my  part,'  said  he,  pausing  to  give 
force  to  his  decision,  'I  never  desire  to  set  foot  in  the 
United  States  again.  I  suppose  I  am  as  well  equipped  for 
the  hf  e  of  a  hermit  as  any  other  man ;  and  I  am  sure  that 
my  temper  is  not  favorable  to  meeting  my  countrymen, 
who  are  my  countrymen  no  longer,  and  facing  the  humilia- 
tion and  disgrace  of  this  defeat.    I  have  no  near  relatives 


60  THE  LAST   THEEE   SOLDIEES 

and  no  personal  attachments  to  compensate  for  what  I 
regard  as  the  sacrifice  of  a  return  and  a  tacit  acceptance 
of  the  new  order  of  things.  I  came  into  the  army  fresh 
from  a  college  course  which  marked  the  close  of  my  youth ; 
and  shall  I  return  in  disgrace,  without  a  profession  or 
ambition,  to  begin  a  new  career  in  the  shadow  of  this 
overwhelming  disaster  ?  I  bind  no  one  to  my  resolution,' 
he  continued  in  clear,  cold  tones ;  '  aU  I  ask  is  that  you 
leave  me  the  old  flag,  and  I  will  set  up  a  country  of  my 
own  on  this  mountain-top,  whose  natural  defenses  will 
enable  me  to  keep  away  all  disturbers  of  my  isolation.' 

''  I  was  deeply  impressed  with  his  words,  and  the  more 
so  because  of  the  absence  of  all  passion  in  his  manner.  I 
had  respected  him  for  his  attainments ;  I  now  felt  that  I 
loved  the  man  for  his  unselfish,  consuming  love  of  coun- 
try. Strange  to  say,  I,  too,  was  without  ties  of  kindred. 
My  best  friends  in  the  old  army  had  fallen  in  battle  for 
the  cause  that  was  lost.  On  the  night  when  we  sat  to- 
gether exulting  over  the  double  victory  of  the  capture  of 
Kenesaw  Mountain  and  the  sinking  of  the  '  Alabama,'  I 
had  expressed  a  determination  to  renounce  my  chosen  pro- 
fession in  a  certain  event.  That  event  had  taken  place. 
Under  the  magnetic  influence  of  Bromley,  what  had  only 
been  a  threat  before  became  a  bitter  impulse  and  then  a 
fierce  resolve. 

"Taking  his  hand  and  looking  steadily  into  his  calm 
eyes,  I  said :  '  I  am  an  officer  of  the  United  States  army, 
but  I  will  promise  you  this :  until  I  am  ordered  to  do  so, 
I  will  never  leave  this  place.' 


A  REMARKABLE  RESOLUTION  61 

"  Philip  Welton  had  been  a  silent  listener  to  this  strange 
conversation.  His  more  sentimental  nature  was  melted  to 
tears,  and  in  a  few  words  he  signified  his  resolution  to  join 
his  fate  with  ours. 

"  We  walked  back  across  the  mountain-top  in  the  white 
light  of  the  full  moon,  silently  as  we  had  come.  After 
the  resolve  we  had  made,  I  began  already  to  experience  a 
sense  of  relief  from  the  shame  I  felt  at  the  failure  of  our 
numerous  armies.  The  old  government  had  fallen  from 
its  proud  position  among  the  nations  of  the  earth.  The 
flag  we  loved  had  been  trampled  under  foot  and  despoiled 
of  its  stars— of  how  many  we  knew  not.  Our  path  lay 
through  the  plantation  of  young  corn,  whose  broad,  glisten- 
ing leaves  brushed  our  faces  and  filled  the  air  with  the 
sweet  fragrance  of  the  juicy  stalks.  The  planting  seemed 
to  have  been  an  inspiration  which  alone  would  make  it 
possible  for  us  to  survive  the  fii-st  winter." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

WHICH  ENDS   m  A  BATTLE 

^HE  morning  after  the  three  soldiers  had  pledged 
themselves  to  a  life  of  exile,  like  the  (otherwise) 
practical  young  persons  they  were,  they  pro- 
ceeded resolutely  to  take  stock  of  the  provisions 
they  had  on  hand  and  to  consider  the  means  of  adding  to 
their  food-supply.  They  had  already  been  nearly  two 
months  in  camp,  which  was  the  period  for  which  their 
rations  had  been  issued;  but,  what  with  the  generous 
measure  of  the  government  and  the  small  game  they  had 
brought  down  with  their  carbines,  nearly  half  of  the  origi- 
nal supply  remained  on  storage  in  the  hut  of  the  old  man 
of  the  mountain.  It  is  true  that  there  was  but  one  box 
left  of  the  hard  bread ;  but  the  salt  beef,  which  had  been 
covered  with  brine  in  the  cask  found  in  the  corner  of  the 
cabin,  had  scarcely  been  touched.  A  few  strips  of  the 
bacon  still  hung  from  the  rafters.  Of  the  peas  and  beans, 
only  a  few  scattering  seeds  lay  here  and  there  on  the  floor. 
The  precious  salt  formed  but  a  small  pile  by  itself,  but 
there  was  stiU  a  brave  supply  of  coffee  and  sugar,  and  the 

62 


WHICH  ENDS  IN  A  BATTLE  63 

best  part  of  the  original  package  of  rice.  In  another  month 
they  would  have  green  corn  and  potatoes  of  their  own 
growing,  and  they  already  had  eggs,  as,  fortunately,  they 
had  killed  none  of  their  hens. 

The  tract  of  ground  on  the  mountain  was  a  half-hundred 
acres  in  extent,  with  an  abundance  of  wood  and  water, 
protected  on  the  borders  by  trees  and  bushes,  and  acces- 
sible only  by  the  wooden  ladder  by  which  they  themselves 
had  come  up  the  ledge.  Their  camp  was  in  the  center  of 
the  tract,  where  the  smoke  of  their  fires  would  never  be 
seen  from  the  valleys.  Overhanging  the  boulder  face  of 
the  mountain,  just  back  of  the  ridge  they  had  used  for  a 
signal-station,  was  a  cliunp  of  black  oaks,  through  which 
something  like  an  old  trail  led  down  to  a  narrow  tongue 
of  land  caught  on  a  shelf  of  granite,  which  was  dark  with 
a  tall  growth  of  pines,  and  the  earth  beneath  was  covered 
with  a  thick,  gray  carpet  of  needles,  clean  and  springy  to 
the  feet.  Along  the  southern  cliff,  and  to  the  west  of  the 
spring  which  welled  out  from  under  the  rock,  was  a  cur- 
tain of  dogwoods  and  birches,  and  elsewhere  the  timber 
was  chestnut.  At  some  points  the  trees  of  the  latter 
variety  were  old  and  gnarled,  and  clung  to  the  rocks  by 
fantastic  twisted  roots  like  the  claws  of  great  birds,  and 
at  others  they  grew  in  thrifty  young  groves,  three  and  four 
lusty  trunks  springing  from  the  sides  of  a  decayed  stump. 

They  were  certainly  in  the  heart  of  the  Confederacy,  but 
the  plateau  was  theirs  by  the  right  of  possession,  and  over 
this,  come  what  might,  they  were  determined  that  the  old 
flag  with  its  thirty-five  stars  should  continue  to  float.   They 


64  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

at  least  would  stubbornly  refuse  to  acknowledge  that  there 
had  been  any  change  in  the  number  of  States. 

Owing  to  the  danger  of  being  seen,  they  agreed  together 
that  no  one  should  go  down  the  ladder  dimng  the  dsiy. 
They  were  satisfied  that  they  had  not  been  seen  since  they 
had  occupied  the  mountain.  They  had  no  reason  to  believe 
that  any  human  being  had  crossed  the  bridge  since  the 
night  the  captain  and  his  troopers  had  ridden  away  into 
the  darkness;  but  still  the  bridge  remained,  the  only 
menace  to  their  safety,  and,  mth  the  military  instinct  of  a 
small  army  retreating  in  an  enemy's  country,  they  deter- 
mined to  destroy  that  means  of  reaching  them. 

Accordingly,  when  night  came,  Lieutenant  Coleman  and 
George  Bromley,  leaving  Philip  asleep  in  the  hut,  armed 
themselves  with  the  ax  and  the  two  carbines,  and  took 
their  way  across  the  lower  field  to  the  deep  gorge.  They 
had  not  been  there  since  the  night  they  parted  with  the 
captain  and  Andy,  the  guide.  It  was  very  still  in  this 
secluded  place— even  stiller,  they  thought,  for  the  ceaseless 
tinkling  of  the  branch  in  the  bottom  of  the  gorge.  They 
had  grown  quite  used  to  the  stillness  and  solitude  of  na- 
ture in  that  upper  wilderness.  Enough  of  moonlight  fell 
through  the  branches  overhead  so  that  they  could  see  the 
forms  of  the  trees  that  grew  in  the  gorge ;  and  the  moon 
itself  was  so  low  in  the  west  that  its  rays  slanted  under 
the  bridge  and  touched  with  a  ghostly  light  the  dead  top 
of  a  great  basswood  which  forked  its  giant  limbs  upward 
like  beckoning  arms.  Then  there  was  one  ray  of  light 
that  lanced  its  way  to  the  very  heart  of  the  gorge,  and 


WHICH  ENDS  IN  A  BATTLE  65 

touched  a  tiny  patch  of  sparkling  water  alongside  a  shin- 
ing rock. 

They  had  the  smallest  ends  of  the  string-pieces  to  deal 
with,  as  the  trees  had  fallen  from  the  other  side.  Bromley 
wielded  the  ax,  which  fell  at  first  with  a  muffled  sound  in 
the  rotten  log,  and  then,  as  he  reached  the  tougher  heart, 
rang  out  clear  and  sharp,  and  echoed  back  from  down  the 
gorge.  Presently  he  felt  a  weakening  in  the  old  stick,  and, 
stepping  back,  he  wiped  his  forehead  on  the  sleeve  of  his 
jacket.  The  stillness  which  followed  the  blows  of  the  ax 
was  almost  startling ;  and  the  night  wind  which  was  rising 
on  the  mountain  sounded  like  the  rushing  of  wings  in  the 
tops  of  the  pines  on  the  opposite  bank. 

After  another  moment's  rest.  Corporal  Bromley  laid  his 
ax  to  the  other  string-piece.  Lieutenant  Coleman  had 
taken  position  a  few  yards  below  the  bridge,  with  his  arm 
around  a  young  chestnut,  where  he  could  detect  the  first 
movement  of  the  swaying  timbers.  Fragments  of  bark 
and  rotten  wood  were  shaken  from  the  crazy  structure  at 
every  stroke  of  the  ax,  and  a  tiny  chipmunk  sprang  out 
of  his  home  in  the  stones,  frightened  at  the  chopping,  and 
fled  with  light  leaps  across  the  doomed  causeway.  Now 
the  blows  fall  more  slowly,  and  after  each  stroke  the  ax- 
man  steps  back  to  listen.  At  last  he  hears  a  measured 
crackling  in  the  resinous  heart  of  the  old  log.  He  hears 
earth  and  small  stones  dropping  from  the  abutment  into 
the  branches  of  the  trees  below.  The  structure  lurches  to 
one  side ;  there  is  a  sound  like  a  dull  explosion ;  a  few  loose 
sticks  dance  in  the  yellow  cloud  of  dust  that  rises  thick 


66  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

and  stifling  from  the  broken  banks,  and  the  toUsome  work 
of  thirty  years  before  is  undone  in  as  many  minutes. 

When  the  dust-cloud  had  di'ifted  off,  our  two  heroes, 
who  had  retreated  for  safety,  came  cautiously  back  and 
looked  over  into  the  gorge.  They  were  startled  at  what 
they  saw ;  for  the  frame  of  the  old  bridge  was  poised  in 
the  moonlight  like  Mohammed's  coffin,  and  swaying  mock- 
ingly, as  if  the  soul  of  the  old  man  of  the  mountain  had 
taken  refuge  in  its  timbers.  Its  slivered  planks  stood  up 
like  the  fins  of  some  sea-monster,  crisscrossed  and  trem- 
bling, and  spread  out  like  the  broken  sticks  of  a  fan. 

" Good !  "  said  Lieutenant  Coleman ;  "it  has  lodged  in 
the  forked  arms  of  the  dead  basswood ;  and  the  mountain 
people  will  attach  some  mystery  to  its  going,  as  they  did 
to  its  coming." 

He  said  ''  Good !  "  because  the  more  mystery  there  was 
between  their  retreat  and  the  enemy  outside,  the  better. 
It  would  be  many  a  long  year  now  before  anybody  would 
be  likely  to  come  to  distui'b  them ;  and  with  this  thought 
in  their  hearts,  they  slung  their  carbines  and  took  the  way 
back. 

When  they  had  come  as  far  as  the  hoUow  tree  into  which 
the  cartridges  had  been  thrown  on  the  first  night  to  keep 
them  from  the  rain,  they  halted ;  and  George  Bromley  felt 
of  the  edge  of  the  ax  as  he  measured  the  height  of  the 
opening  above  the  ground  with  his  eye.  He  was  not  quite 
satisfied  with  this  kind  of  measurement,  and  so,  leaning 
against  the  old  trunk,  he  thrust  his  right  arm  to  its  full 
length  into  the  broad,  black  cavity.     He  was  about  to 


WHICH  ENDS  IN  A  BATTLE  67 

touch  with  his  fingers  the  spot  outside,  opposite  to  which 
his  right  hand  reached,  when  something  like  an  exclama- 
tion of  anger  fell  from  his  lips,  and  he  lifted  out  of  the 
opening  a  bear  cub  as  large  as  a  woodchuck.  Bromley's 
bare  hand  had  landed  unexpectedly  in  the  soft  fur  of  the 
animal,  and,  with  an  absence  of  fear  peculiar  to  himself, 
he  had  closed  his  powerful  grip  on  the  unknown  object, 
and  lifted  out  the  young  bear  by  the  nape  of  its  neck. 
Strong  as  he  was,  he  was  unable  to  hold  the  squirming 
cub  until  he  had  turned  it  over  on  its  back  and  planted 
his  knee  on  its  chest. 

Behind  the  tree  there  was  a  great,  dark  hole  among  the 
rocks,  which  was  the  real  entrance  to  the  bears'  den ;  and 
expecting  an  attack  from  that  quarter.  Lieutenant  Cole- 
man stood  quietly  in  the  moonlight,  with  his  thumb  on 
the  lock  of  his  carbine.  As  there  was  no  movement  any- 
where, he  presently  retui-ned  to  the  hole  in  the  tree,  and 
prudently  thrust  in  his  short  gun,  which  he  worked  about 
until  the  broad,  flat  end  of  the  hinged  ramrod  was  en- 
tangled in  the  coarse  meshes  of  the  sack.  The  cartridges 
were  bone-dry  after  seven  weeks  in  the  bears'  den,  and  the 
young  cub  was  thrust  into  the  bag,  where  he  growled  and 
struggled  against  the  unknown  power  that  was  bearing 
him  off. 

They  had  neither  chains  nor  cage  nor  strong  boxes,  and 
when  they  had  come  safely  back  to  the  cabin  with  their 
prize  they  were  greatly  puzzled  as  to  how  they  should 
secure  it  for  the  night.  Philip  was  sleeping  soundly  on  a 
bed  of  boughs  in  one  corner,  and  showed  no  disposition  to 


68  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

wake.  They  were  careful  not  to  distui'b  him,  wishing  to 
prepare  a  pleasant  surprise  for  him  when  he  should  wake 
in  the  morning  and  find  the  captured  cub. 

"  I  have  it,"  said  Bromley,  when  his  eyes  had  traveled 
around  the  room  to  the  fireplace ;  "  the  cub  can't  climb  up 
the  smooth  stones  of  the  chimney,  and  we  will  find  a  way 
to  shut  it  in  by  blocking  up  the  fireplace." 

They  unslung  the  door  of  the  cabin  from  its  wooden 
hinges,  and,  after  slipping  the  young  bear  from  the  mouth 
of  the  sack  into  the  soft  ashes,  they  quickly  closed  the 
opening,  and  secured  the  door  in  place,  putting  the  meat- 
cask  against  one  end  and  a  heavy  stone  against  the  other. 

After  a  little  disturbance  in  the  ashes  all  was  quiet  in 
the  fireplace.  Lieutenant  Coleman  went  away  to  his  tent, 
and  in  five  minutes  after  he  lay  down  George  Bromley 
was  fast  asleep  beside  Philip. 

At  this  time  the  moon  was  shining  in  at  the  open  door ; 
but  shortly  afterward  it  set  behind  the  western  ridges,  and 
in  the  hour  before  daybreak  it  was  unusually  dark  on  the 
mountain.  Bromley  was  sleeping  more  lightly  than  usual, 
and,  following  his  experience  of  the  night,  he  was  dream- 
ing of  desperate  encounters  with  bears ;  or  this  may  have 
happened  because  the  cub  in  the  chimney  from  time  to 
time  put  his  small  nose  to  a  hole  in  the  door  and  whined, 
and  then  growled  as  he  fell  back  into  the  ashes. 

One  of  the  light  cracker-boxes  stood  on  end  just  inside 
the  door,  and  it  was  the  noise  of  this  object  thrown  over 
on  the  floor  that  startled  Bromley  in  the  midst  of  his 
dream,  just  at  the  point  where  he  saw  the  bear  approach- 


THE  MOTHER  BEAR  COMES  FOR  HEK  CUB. 


WHICH  ENDS  IN  A  BATTLE  71 

ing.  He  was  awake  in  an  instant,  but  the  spell  of  the 
dream  was  still  on  him,  and  he  wondered  that,  instead  of 
the  huge  form  of  the  bear  of  his  sleep,  he  saw  only  two 
glittering  eyes  in  the  doorway.  For  an  instant  he  was  at 
a  loss  to  tell  where  he  was.  He  saw  the  grayish  opening 
of  the  window  in  the  surrounding  blackness,  and  a  peculiar 
hole  in  the  roof  not  quite  covered  by  the  pieces  of  shelter- 
tent  ;  and  just  as  he  came  to  himself  the  cub  in  the  chim- 
ney, smelling  its  mother,  whined  joyfully  at  the  hole  in  the 
door.  With  a  deep  growl  the  old  bear  scrambled  over  the 
creaking  floor  to  her  young  one.  Instinctively  Bromley 
put  out  his  hand  for  his  carbine,  and  then  he  remembered 
that  both  guns  had  been  left  lying  on  the  stone  hearth. 
At  the  same  time  Philip  awoke  with  a  start,  and  the  she- 
bear,  scenting  her  natural  enemies,  uttered  a  growl  which 
was  half  a  snarl,  and  was  about  to  charge  into  the  corner 
where  they  lay,  when  Bromley  snatched  the  blankets  and 
threw  them  so  dexterously  over  the  gleaming  eyes  that  in 
the  momentary  confusion  of  the  brute  he  had  time  to  drag 
and  push  Philip  through  the  open  door  and  out  of  the 
cabin. 

Furious  as  the  beast  was,  she  had  no  disposition  to  fol- 
low the  boys  into  the  open  air.  Her  natural  instinct  kept 
her  in  the  neighborhood  of  her  imprisoned  offspring,  where 
she  sat  heavily  on  the  two  carbines  and  growled  fiercely. 
The  bear  now  had  full  and  undisputed  possession  of  the 
cabin,  as  well  as  of  the  entire  stock  of  firearms,  which 
absurd  advantage  she  held  until  daylight,  while  Bromley 
and  Philip  sat  impatiently  in  the  lower  Umbs  of  an  old 


72  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

chestnut,  where  they  had  promptly  taken  refuge.  Bromley 
had  secured  the  ax  in  his  retreat,  and  whUe  PhUip  sat 
securely  above  him,  he  guarded  the  approach  along  the 
sloping  trunk,  and  would  have  welcomed  the  bear  right 
gladly.  They  were  near  enough  to  throw  sticks  upon  the 
"A"  tent,  and  before  dayUght  Lieutenant  Coleman  was 
awakened  and  was  lodged  in  the  branches  with  them. 

"  How  very  fortunate !  "  said  Philip  from  the  top  of  the 
tree.  "  "We  shall  have  a  supply  of  jerked  bear's  meat  for 
the  winter." 

''Not  so  long  as  the  bear  sits  on  the  carbines,"  said 
Bromley,  with  a  grim  smile. 

"  If  we  could  get  that  young  cub  out  of  the  chimney—" 
said  Lieutenant  Coleman. 

"  Or  the  old  bear  into  it,"  suggested  Philip. 

''Either  way,"  said  the  lieutenant,  "would  put  us  in 
possession  of  the  guns,  and  decide  the  battle  in  our  favor." 

By  the  time  they  had,  in  their  imaginations,  dressed  the 
bear  and  tanned  her  skin,  it  began  to  be  light  enough  to 
enter  upon  a  more  vigorous  and  offensive  campaign.  This 
idea  seemed  to  strike  the  bear  at  the  same  time,  for  she 
came  out  of  the  door,  and,  after  sniffing  the  morning  air, 
shambled  tliree  times  around  the  cabin,  smelling  and 
clawing  at  the  base  of  the  chimney  in  each  passage.  Hav- 
ing made  this  survey  of  her  suiToundings,  she  returned  to 
her  post  and  lay  down  on  the  carbines. 

These  carbines  were  old  smooth-bore  muskets  cut  down 
for  cavalry  arms  and  fitted  with  a  short  bar  and  sliding 
ring  over  the  lock-plate,  which  was  stamped  "Tower— 


WHICH  ENDS  IN  A  BATTLE  73 

London,  1862."  They  carried  a  ball  fixed  in  front  of  a 
paper  cartridge,  and  were  fired  by  means  of  a  percussion- 
cap.  The  pieces  were  loaded  where  they  lay,  with  caps 
under  the  locks. 

There  was  a  crevice  between  the  logs  at  that  side  of  the 
chimney  where  the  door  was  held  in  position  by  the  stone, 
and  the  wooden  spade  which  Philip  had  used  in  his  plant- 
ing could  be  seen  from  where  the  three  soldiers  sat  in  the 
tree,  lying  across  the  grave  of  the  old  man  of  the  moun- 
tain. Lieutenant  Coleman  and  Bromley  slipped  down  to 
the  ground  and  ran  around  to  the  back  of  the  hut.  The 
end  of  the  door  could  be  seen  against  the  crevice,  which 
was  just  above  the  level  of  the  floor.  The  men  took  care 
to  keep  close  to  the  chimney,  so  as  to  be  out  of  sight  of 
the  bear,  and  when  they  had  fixed  their  lever  under  the 
edge  of  the  door  they  easily  raised  it  high  enough  to  let 
out  the  cub. 

When  this  was  done  they  mounted  to  the  roof  of  the 
cabin,  Coleman  armed  with  the  wooden  spade  and  Bromley 
with  the  ax.  The  bear  came  out  presently,  with  the  cub 
at  her  side,  its  thick  fur  gray  with  ashes.  The  two  were 
headed  to  pass  between  the  tent  and  the  chestnut-tree,  and 
when  the  old  bear  stopped  at  the  foot  of  the  trunk  and 
raised  her  head  with  a  threatening  growl,  Bromley  stood 
up  on  the  roof  and  hurled  the  ax,  which  slightly  wounded 
the  bear  in  the  flank  and  caused  her  to  charge  back  toward 
the  cabin,  while  the  bewildered  cub  scrambled  up  the  tree 
in  which  Philip  sat. 

Philip  only  laughed  and  called  loudly  to  his  comrades 


74  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

to  get  the  guns.  At  the  sound  of  his  voice  the  she-bear 
turned  about,  and,  seeing  her  cub  in  the  tree,  began  scram- 
bhng  up  after  it.  At  this  quite  unexpected  turn  in  affaii-s 
Phihp  began  to  clunb  higher,  no  longer  disposed  to  laugh, 
while  Bromley  jumped  down  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
cabin  and  secured  the  carbines,  one  of  which  he  passed  up 
to  Lieutenant  Coleman  on  the  roof.  Now,  Coleman  had  a 
clear  eye  and  a  steady  hand  with  a  gun,  and  would  have 
hit  the  heart  of  the  bear  with  his  bullet  like  the  handiest 
old  sport  of  the  woods,  but  as  the  animal  crouched  in  the 
crotch  of  the  tree  a  great  limb  covered  her  side  and  head. 
By  this  time  Philip  was  as  high  as  he  dared  to  chmb.  The 
cub  from  the  ashes  was  hugging  the  same  slender  limb, 
breathing  on  his  naked  feet,  and  the  old  bear,  with  bris- 
tling hair  and  erect  ears,  was  growling  where  she  lay,  and 
putting  out  her  great  claws  to  go  aloft  after  Philip.  This 
was  the  critical  moment,  when  Bromley  ran  under  the 
tree  and  shot  the  bear.  His  ball  went  crashing  into  her 
shoulder  instead  of  between  the  ribs  behind,  as  he  had 
meant  it  should.  It  was  just  as  well,  he  thought,  when  .he 
saw  her  come  rolUng  along  the  trunk  to  the  ground  as  if 
she  were  thrice  dead.  If  he  had  only  known  bears  a  little 
better,  he  would  probably  have  exchanged  carbines  and 
kept  a  safe  distance  from  the  animal ;  and  even  then,  in 
the  end,  it  might  have  been  worse  for  him. 

He  had  only  broken  her  big,  shaggy  shoulder,  and  as 
he  came  near  to  the  wounded  brute  she  rose  suddenly  on 
her  hind  feet  and  dealt  him  such  a  whack  with  her  sound 
paw  as  nearly  broke  his  ribs  and  sent  him  roUing  over 


'SHE  EOSE   SCTDDEXLT  ON  HER   HIXD   FEET  AXD   DEALT    HIM    SUCH  A  WHACK 
AS  :yEAKLT  BEOKE  HIS  EIBS." 


WHICH  ENDS  IN  A  BATTLE  77 

and  over  on  the  ground.  Bear  and  man  were  so  mixed  in 
the  air  that  even  Coleman  feared  to  risk  a  shot.  Poor 
Bromley,  crippled  and  bleeding  at  the  nose,  lay  almost 
helpless  on  his  back  under  the  tree,  and  in  this  state  the 
maddened  bear  charged  furiously  on  him,  her  foaming  and 
bloody  jaws  extended.  Half  stunned  and  more  than  half 
beaten,  he  had  retained  his  cool  nerve  and  a  firm  grip  on 
his  empty  carbine ;  and  as  the  bear  came  over  him,  with 
all  his  remaining  strength  he  crushed  the  clumsy  weapon 
into  her  open  mouth  like  a  huge  bit.  She  was  so  near 
that  he  felt  her  hot  breath  on  his  face,  and  saw  her  flam- 
ing eyes  through  the  blood  which  nearly  blinded  his  own. 
Bromley  felt  his  strength  going.  The  breath  was  nearly 
crushed  out  of  his  body  by  the  weight  of  the  bear,  baffled 
for  an  instant  by  the  mass  of  ii-on  between  her  jaws. 
Philip,  drawing  up  his  toes  from  the  cub,  forgot  his  own 
peril  as  he  gazed  down  in  terror  at  the  struggle  below.  At 
the  moment  which  he  believed  was  Bromley's  last  a  quick 
report  rang  out  from  the  roof,  and  the  great  bear  rolled 
heavily  to  one  side,  with  Lieutenant  Coleman's  bullet  in 
her  heart. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  in  the  excitement  of 
destroying  bridges  and  killing  bears  Lieutenant  Coleman 
neglected  the  signal-station.  Morning  after  morning  they 
waved  their  flag,  and  watched  the  summit  of  Upper  Bald 
through  the  glass.  No  one  could  be  more  eager  than 
were  the  three  soldiers  without  a  country  to  hear  some 
further  news  of  the  old  government  they  had  loved  and 


78  THE  LAST  THREE   SOLDIERS 

lost.  They  even  turned  their  attention  to  Chestnut  Knob. 
The  entries  in  the  diary  show  that  this  duty  was  continued 
hopelessly  through  September,  with  no  reply  to  their  sig- 
nals from  either  mountain. 

That  disaster  had  overtaken  the  armies  of  the  United 
States  they  accepted  as  a  fact,  and  busied  themselves  about 
their  domestic  affairs  that  they  might,  being  occupied,  the 
more  easily  forget  their  great  disappointment.  The  flesh 
of  the  bear  was  cured  in  long  strips  by  the  cool  air  and 
hot  sun.  To  protect  themselves  from  another  unwelcome 
sui'prise,  they  removed  the  short  upper  ladder  from  the 
ledge  in  the  cliff,  and  the  bear  cub,  which  had  become  a 
great  pet  under  the  name  of  "  Tumbler,"  was  allowed  the 
range  of  the  plateau. 

In  this  month  of  September  the  soldier  exiles  built  a 
comfortable  new  house  on  ground  a  little  in  front  of  the 
old  hut.  Its  walls  were  constructed  of  chestnut  logs  cut 
from  the  grove  to  the  west,  where  they  could  be  easily 
rolled  down  the  hill,  after  which  they  were  scored  with  the 
ax  on  the  inner  side,  and  notched  so  as  to  fit  quite  closely 
together.  The  roof  was  made  of  rafters  and  flattened 
string-pieces,  and  covered  with  shingles  which  they  split 
from  short  sections  of  oak,  and  which  were  held  in  place 
with  the  nails  that  had  been  provided  for  the  station.  The 
floor  was  of  pounded  clay,  raised  a  foot  above  the  ground 
outside.  It  was  a  prodigious  labor  to  bring  down  on 
rollers  the  great  flat  stone  which  they  dug  out  of  the  hill- 
side for  the  fireplace.  After  this  was  laid  firmly  for  a 
hearth,  they  built  the  chimney  outside,  laying  the  stones 


WHICH   ENDS  IN  A  BATTLE  79 

in  a  mortar  of  clay  until  the  throat  was  siifficiently  narrow ; 
and  after  that  they  carried  the  flue  above  the  ridge-pole 
with  sticks  thickly  plastered  with  mud.  The  house  had 
two  windows  under  the  eaves  opposite  to  each  other ;  and 
the  doorway,  which  was  in  the  gable  end  facing  the  fire- 
place, was  fitted  with  the  door  from  the  old  cabin,  which 
they  had  no  doubt  had  been  framed  down  the  mountain, 
and  brought  up  by  Josiah  after  midnight,  and  most  likely 
it  had  been  paid  for  with  some  of  the  strange  gold  pieces 
which  had  excited  the  suspicion  of  the  gossips  in  the 
vaUey. 

It  was  a  wonderfully  comfortable  house  to  look  at,  and 
almost  made  them  long  for  the  fall  rain  to  beat  on  the 
roof,  and  for  the  cold  nights  when  they  could  build  a  fire 
in  the  great  chimney. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE   PLATEAU   RECEIVES  A   NAME 

\  T  was  now  October,  and  time  to  being  harvesting 
the  crop  on  the  little  plantation,  which  some- 
thing very  like  an  inspiration  had  prompted 
Philip  to  plant.  While  Lieutenant  Coleman 
continued  work  on  the  house,  stopping  the  chinks  between 
the  logs  with  clay,  and  repairing  the  roof  of  the  hut  with 
spare  shingles,  Bromley  and  Philip  "topped"  the  corn, 
cutting  off  the  stalks  above  the  ripened  ears.  Then  the 
potatoes  were  thrown  out  of  the  mellow  soil  with  a  wooden 
shovel,  and  left  to  dry  in  the  sun,  while  a  level  place  was 
prepared  in  the  center  of  the  plot,  and  thickly  spread  with 
a  carpet  of  diy  stalks.  Upon  this  surface,  after  removing 
a  few  bushels  to  the  hut,  the  crop  was  gathered  into  a 
conical  heap  and  thatched  over  with  stalks,  and  then  the 
whole  was  thickly  covered  with  earth  and  trenched  about 
to  turn  off  the  water. 

It  was  estimated  that  this  cache  contained  thirty  bushels, 
which,  according  to  the  table  in  the  Blue  Book  (Revised 

80 


THE  PLATEAU  EECEIVES  A  NAME  81 

Army  Regulations),  would  exceed  the  potato  ration  of  three 
men  for  a  period  of  five  years. 

From  the  day  of  their  arrival  on  the  mountain,  Lieu- 
tenant Coleman  had  never  failed  to  make  a  daily  entry  in 
the  station  journal ;  and  now  that  they  had  set  up  a  coun- 
try for  themselves,  he  foresaw  that  the  continuance  of  this 
practice  would  be  necessary  if  they  were  not  to  lose  the 
record  of  weeks  and  months.  His  entry  was  always  brief. 
Often  it  was  no  more  than  the  date,  and  even  the  more 
important  events  were  set  down  with  the  utmost  brevity 
and  precision. 

Once  a  week  he  noted  the  recurrence  of  the  Sabbath,  and 
on  that  day  they  suspended  ordinary  labor,  and,  if  the 
weather  was  pleasant,  inspected  their  increasing  domestic 
comforts  on  the  mountain-top  and  laid  their  plans  for  the 
future.  After  their  military  habit,  the  morning  of  Sunday 
was  devoted  to  personal  cleanliness  and  to  tidying  up 
about  their  quarters. 

As  the  commissary  supply  of  yeUow  bars  diminished,  it 
was  evident  that  the  time  would  soon  come  when  they 
should  be  obliged  to  make  their  own  soap.  Back  of  the 
chestnut-tree  in  which  they  had  taken  refuge  from  the 
bear  was  a  peculiar  hoUowed  rock,  and  above  it  a  flat  shelf 
of  stone,  on  which  Philip  erected  a  hollow  log  for  leaching 
ashes.  A  little  patient  chipping  of  the  upper  stone  with 
the  ax-head  made  a  shallow  furrow  along  which  the  lye 
would  trickle  from  the  leach,  and  fall  into  the  natural 
basin  in  the  rock  below,  which  was  large  enough  to  hold 
a  half-barrel.     This  was  a  happy  device,  as  the  strong 


82  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

liquid  would  have  eaten  its  way  through  any  vessel  other 
than  an  iron  pot  or  an  earthen  jar,  of  which  unfortunately 
they  possessed  neither. 

They  had  but  a  limited  supply  of  hard  corn,  from  which 
they  selected  the  best  ears  for  the  next  year's  planting. 
These  they  braided  together  by  the  husks,  and  hung  up  in 
yellow  festoons  from  the  rafters  of  the  hut,  which  they 
continued  to  use  as  a  storehouse.  Much  of  what  remained 
of  their  small  crop  would  be  needed  by  the  fowls  in  the 
winter,  and  up  to  this  time  they  had  made  no  use  of  it  for 
their  own  food. 

Meal  was  out  of  the  question,  and  to  break  the  flinty 
kernels  between  stones  was  a  tedious  process  to  which  they 
had  not  yet  been  forced  to  resort. 

The  presence  of  the  lye,  however,  suggested  to  Bromley 
the  hulled  corn  of  his  New  England  gi'andmother,  which 
he  had  seen  her  prepare  by  soaking  and  boiling  the  kernels 
in  a  thin  solution  of  lye.  By  this  means  the  hulls  or  skins 
were  removed,  and  after  cleansing  from  potash,  and  boil- 
ing all  day,  the  unbroken  kernels  became  as  white  and 
tender  as  rice. 

This  satisfied  the  three  soldiers  for  a  time,  and  made  an 
agreeable  addition  to  their  diet  of  bear  steak  and  potatoes. 
In  the  mountains  of  Tennessee  Lieutenant  Coleman  had 
once  seen  a  rude  hydrauhc  contrivance  called  a  Slow-John, 
which  was  a  sort  of  lazy  man's  mill.  To  construct  this 
affair  it  was  necessary  to  have  a  bucket,  which  Bromley 
set  about  making  by  the  slow  process  of  burning  out  a 
section  of  chestnut  log  with  the  red-hot  ramrod  of  a  carbine. 


THE  PLATEAU  RECEIVES  A  NAME  83 

At  a  short  distance  above  the  house,  the  branch  which 
flowed  from  the  spring,  after  making  its  refreshing  way 
between  grassy  banks,  tumbled  over  a  succession  of  ledges 
which  ended  in  a  small  cascade,  and  twelve  feet  below  this 
waterfall  there  was  a  broad,  flat  rock  which  laved  its  mossy 
sides  in  the  branch,  and  showed  a  clean,  flat  surface  above 
the  level  of  the  water.  Below  this  rock  they  built  a  dam 
of  stones,  by  means  of  which  they  could  flood  its  surface. 

Four  feet  up-stream  from  the  rock  a  log  was  fixed  from 
bank  to  bank  for  a  ftdcrum,  and  upon  this  rested  a  mov- 
able lever,  the  short  arm  of  which  terminated  above  the 
submerged  rock,  while  the  long  arm  just  touched  the  water 
of  the  cascade.  A  wooden  pin  set  in  the  under  log  passed 
through  a  slot  in  the  lever,  so  as  to  hold  it  in  position  and 
at  the  same  time  give  it  free  play.  Another  flat  stone  of 
about  thirty  pounds'  weight,  which  was  the  pestle  of  the 
mortar,  was  lashed  with  grape-vine  thongs  to  the  short 
arm  of  the  lever  directly  over  the  submerged  stone.  To 
the  long  arm  was  attached  Bromley's  bucket,  bailed  with 
a  strong  wire,  and  so  hung  as  to  catch  the  water  of  the 
cascade.  As  the  bucket  filled  and  sank,  its  weight  raised 
the  flat  stone  higher  and  higher  above  the  submerged  rock 
until  the  bucket  met  a  bar  fixed  to  tilt  its  contents  into 
the  stream,  when  the  upper  miUstone  came  down  upon  its 
fellow  with  a  fine  splash  and  thud.  After  a  wall  of  clay 
had  been  built  about  the  surface  where  the  two  stones 
met,  to  keep  the  corn  in  place,  the  Slow-John  was  ready 
for  work. 

It  was  slow,  but  it  was  sure,  and  after  that,  when  one 

5* 


84  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

of  the  three  soldiers  awoke  in  the  night,  it  was  cheerful  to 
hear  the  regular  splash  and  crash  of  the  Slow-John,  like 
the  ticking  of  a  huge  clock,  lazy  enough  to  tick  once  a 
minute,  and  patient  enough  to  keep  on  ticking  for  two 
days  and  nights  to  pulverize  as  many  quarts  of  corn. 

And  now,  for  three  young  men  who  had  solemnly  re- 
nounced their  country  and  cut  themselves  off  voluntarily 
from  all  intercourse  with  their  kind,  they  were  about  as 
cheerful  and  contented  as  could  be  expected.  In  spite  of 
the  great  disaster  which  they  beheved  had  befallen  the 
National  cause,  their  lungs  expanded  in  the  rare  mountain 
air,  and  the  good  red  blood  danced  in  their  veins,  and  with 
youth  and  health  of  body  it  was  impossible  to  take  an 
altogether  gloomy  view  of  life.  They  had  at  first  tried 
hard  to  be  miserable,  but  natui-e  was  against  them,  and  the 
effort  had  been  a  failure.  In  their  free  life  they  could  no 
more  resist  the  infection  of  happiness  than  the  birds  in 
the  trees  could  refrain  from  singing,  and  so  it  came  to 
pass  that  in  view  of  the  bountiful  harvest  they  had  gath- 
ered, and  the  comfortable  house  they  had  built,  and  aU 
the  domestic  conveniences  they  had  contrived.  Lieutenant 
Coleman  came  out  boldly  in  favor  of  setting  apart  Thurs- 
day, the  twenty-fourth  day  of  November,  as  a  Day  of 
Thanksgiving,  and  quite  forgot  to  name  it  a  day  of 
humiliation  as  well.  To  this  the  others  joyfully  agreed, 
and  agreed,  moreover,  that  from  that  day  forward  the 
plateau  should  be  called  Lincoln  Territory  in  memory  of 
the  patriotism  of  the  good  President,  notwithstanding  they 
felt  that  his  divided  counselors  and  incompetent  generals 


THE   PLATEAU  RECEIVES  A  NAME  85 

had  wiped  the  half  of  a  great  nation  from  the  map  of  the 
"world. 

When  this  first  holiday  dawned  on  the  mountain,  the 
three  soldiers  arrayed  themselves  in  full  uniform  for 
the  ceremony  of  naming  theii*  possessions.  Bromley  and 
Philip  buckled  on  their  cavalry  swords  and  slung  their 
carbines  at  their  backs,  and  Lieutenant  Coleman,  for  the 
last  time,  assumed  his  discarded  rank  to  take  command. 
The  arms  had  been  polished  the  day  before  until  they 
gleamed  and  flashed  in  the  morning  light,  and  the  little 
army  of  two  was  dressed  and  faced  and  inspected,  and 
then  left  at  parade-rest  while  Lieutenant  Coleman  brought 
out  the  flag.  How  their  honest  hearts  swelled  with  pride 
to  think  that  here,  alone  in  aU  the  world,  that  flag  would 
continue  to  float  with  an  undiminished  field  of  stars ! 
Little  did  they  dream  that  on  that  very  morning  hundreds 
like  it  were  waving  in  the  heart  of  Georgia  over  Sherman's 
legions  on  their  march  to  the  sea.  When  at  last  it  blew 
out  from  the  staff,  they  gathered  under  its  folds,  and  sang 
"  The  Star-spangled  Banner  "  with  tears  in  their  eyes ;  and 
as  the  last  words  of  the  good  old  song  rang  out  over  the 
mountain-top,  Philip  and  Bromley  discharged  their  car- 
bines, and  all  three  cheered  lustily  for  the  old  flag  and 
the  new  name. 

This  was  to  be  their  last  military  ceremony,  and  having 
no  further  use  for  their  swords,  they  arranged  them  with 
belts  and  scabbards  into  a  handsome  decoration  against 
the  chimneypiece,  and  crossed  above  them  the  three  red- 
and-white  flags  of  the  station.     The  Revised  Army  Regu- 


86  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

lations  and  Philip's  prayer-book  stood  on  the  mantelpiece 
alongside  the  spy-glass  in  its  leathern  case.  The  few 
articles  of  extra  clothing  hung  in  a  line  on  the  wall  just 
opposite  to  the  three  bunks,  whose  under  layer  of  pine 
boughs  gave  an  aromatic  perfume  to  the  room. 

After  the  ceremony  of  naming  the  plateau,  and  having 
fixed  the  trophies  to  their  satisfaction,  the  three  exiles 
took  down  their  sky-blue  overcoats  from  the  line,  for  the 
November  air  was  nipping  cold,  and  set  out  with  the  two 
carbines  and  an  empty  sack  to  keep  Thanksgiving  in  the 
good  old  country  way.  They  were  still  rather  sad  after 
what  had  happened  in  the  morning ;  but  by  the  time  they 
were  back  all  the  gloom  had  worn  off,  for  they  brought 
with  them  two  rabbits  and  a  bag  of  chestnuts,  and  appe- 
tites shai-pened  by  exercise  in  the  keen  air. 

Philip  made  the  stew,  and  Bromley  fried  two  chickens 
of  their  own  raising,  one  after  the  other,  on  a  half-canteen, 
and  the  potatoes,  left  to  themselves,  burst  their  jackets  in 
the  ashes  with  impatience  to  be  eaten.  Each  man  made 
his  own  coffee  in  his  own  blackened  tin  cup,  and  drank  it 
with  a  keener  relish  because  it  was  near  the  last  of  their 
commissary  stock. 

While  they  were  eating  and  drinking  within,  the  sky 
without  had  become  thick  with  clouds  blown  up  on  the 
east  wind,  so  that  when  they  looked  out  at  the  door  they 
saw  Tumbler,  the  bear,  who  also  had  been  stuffing  himself 
with  acorns,  and  ants  which  he  had  pawed  out  of  a  rotten 
log,  rolling  home  for  shelter. 

There  was  yet  time  before  the  storm  broke,  and  away 


CHKISTEXING  THE  TEKKIiOliV. 


THE  PLATEAU  EECEIVES  A  NAME  89 

they  went  up  the  hill  as  happy  as  lords,  to  load  themselves 
with  dead  chestnut  limbs  and  a  few  resinous  sticks  of  fat 
pine ;  and  when  night  came,  and  with  it  the  rain,  there  was 
a  warm  fire  in  the  new  chimney,  and  a  stick  of  lightwood 
thrust  behind  the  backlog  lighted  the  interior  of  the  house 
with  a  good  forty-adamantine-candle  power.  Tumbler  lay 
rolled  up  in  his  favorite  corner,  blinking  his  small  eyes  at 
the  unusual  light,  and  from  time  to  time  he  passed  his 
furry  paw  over  his  sharp  nose  and  gave  forth  a  low  grunt 
of  satisfaction.  Philip  sat  against  the  chimney  opposite 
Tumbler,  stirring  chestnuts  in  the  ashes  with  a  ramrod, 
while  Bromley  put  away  the  last  of  the  supper  things,  and 
Lieutenant  Coleman  gazed  out  of  the  open  window  into 
the  slanting  rain,  which  beat  a  merry  tattoo  on  the  shin- 
gles, and  tossed  at  intervals  a  sturdy  drop  on  the  hissing 
fire. 

It  was  certainly  not  the  cheerful  interior,  beaming  with 
light  and  heat,  that  turned  Lieutenant  Coleman's  thoughts 
back  to  the  dark  cloud  of  disasters  which  had  overwhelmed 
the  National  arms ;  it  might  have  been  the  dismal  outlook 
from  the  square  window  into  the  darkness  and  the  storm. 
At  all  events,  he  turned  abruptly  about  as  if  a  new  idea 
had  struck  him. 

"  George,  this  sudden  success  of  the  Johnnies  has  not 
been  gained  without  important  outside  aid.  The  French 
in  Mexico  may  have  decided  at  last  to  cross  the  border, 
and  if  they  did  it  was  in  concert  with  the  naval  demon- 
strations of  more  than  one  European  power  against  the 
blockade." 


90  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

"  That  is  just  what  I  have  been  thinking,  Fred/'  said 
Bromley,  "  and  England  is  sure  to  be  at  the  bottom  of  it. 
After  the  sinking  of  the  '  Alabama '  there  was  no  time  to 
be  lost,  and  when  Grant's  army  began  to  fall  back  from 
Richmond,  that  hostile  government  had  the  excuse  it  had 
long  been  waiting  for,  and  recognized  the  Confederacy  at 
once," 

"I  am  of  the  opinion,"  replied  Lieutenant  Coleman, 
thoughtfully,  *'  that  the  recognition  of  the  European  pow- 
ers came  before  the  withdrawal  from  Richmond,  because 
Grant  would  never  have  yielded  that  position  except  in 
obedience  to  orders  from  Washington.     Now  would  he  ? " 

"  No,  he  would  n't,"  said  Bromley. 

"Of  coui'se  not,"  said  Philip.  "It  all  began  with  the 
death  of  Uncle  BUly." 

"  So  it  did,"  said  Bromley ;  "  and  after  Sherman's  army 
was  out  of  the  way  Johnston  probably  joined  his  forces 
with  Hood,  defeated  Thomas,  and  retook  Chattanooga. 
He  could  hardly  have  accomplished  all  that  by  August  20, 
but  his  cavalry  must  have  struck  our  line  of  stations  on 
that  date." 

"  Exactly  so,  George,"  Lieutenant  Coleman  responded. 
"If  they  had  captured  the  tenth  station  alone,  with 
Captain  Swann,  the  line  would  have  been  useless  and  no 
further  messages  could  have  reached  us.  If  Swann  had 
found  the  hne  broken  behind  him,  he  would  certainly  have 
flagged  that  news  to  me  without  delay." 

"Well,  what  's  the  odds?"  said  Philip,  drawing  his 
chestnuts  out  upon  the  hearthstone.     "The  jig  was  up, 


THE   PLATEAU  RECEIVES  A  NAME  91 

and  Captain  Swann  knew  it.  If  they  had  taken  any  sta- 
tion this  side  of  the  tenth  mountain,  the  effect  to  us  would 
have  been  the  same." 

"  So  it  would,"  said  Lieutenant  Coleman,  sadly,  turning 
again  to  look  out  into  the  storm— ''so  it  would," 

"  It  is  a  blessing  that  we  are  ignorant  of  some  things 
that  have  happened,"  said  Bromley,  who  was  disposed  to 
look  on  the  dark  side.  "  It  would  have  been  just  like  Lee's 
impudence,  after  Washington  was  garrisoned,  to  cut  loose 
with  his  army,  and  live  on  the  country  through  Maryland, 
Pennsylvania,  and  New  Jersey  until  he  reached  his  foreign 
allies  in  the  port  of  New  York.  If  he  has  done  that,  for 
instance,  I  should  rather  not  know  it.  WeU,"  continued 
Bromley,  ''there  is  one  comfort:  if  the  Rebs  conquer 
everything,  they  will  defeat  their  own  purpose  and  re- 
establish the  Union  they  sought  to  destroy." 

"Yes,"  said  Lieutenant  Coleman,  "but  it  would  be  a 
Union  with  slavery  everywhere.  They  can  turn  the  North- 
ern States  back  into  Territories,  and  carry  slavery  into 
Massachusetts." 

"  Bah !  "  exclaimed  Philip.  "  To  think  of  the  Territory 
of  Ohio  !  The  Territory  of  Pennsylvania !  The  Territory 
of  New  York !  " 

"  Dear  me  !  "  said  Lieutenant  Coleman ;  "  it  is  aU  too  hu- 
miliating to  think  of.  After  aU,  what  a  miserable  figure 
Abraham  Lincoln  will  cut  in  history !  Think  of  it !  His 
Emancipation  Proclamation  is  not  worth  the  paper  it  was 
wi'itten  on ! " 

"  Ten  thousand  furies  !  "  cried  Bromley,  striding  across 


92  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

the  earthen  floor  and  kicking  the  logs  until  the  fire  danced 
in  the  chimney ;  "  we  made  a  wise  choice  when  we  deter- 
mined to  stay  on  this  mountain." 

"  But  we  did  make  a  mistake  when  we  named  the  pla- 
teau Lincoln  Territory,"  cried  Philip. 

"  That  's  so,"  said  Bromley  and  Lieutenant  Coleman, 
with  one  voice. 

"  It 's  not  too  late  yet,"  shouted  Bromley.  "  Sherman ! 
Sherman  was  the  only  general  worthy  the  name." 

And  they  all  cried  "  Sherman !  Sherman ! "  and  by 
common  consent,  after  all  the  ceremony  of  the  morning, 
the  name  of  the  plateau  was  changed  to  Sherman  Ter- 
ritory. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE   PRISONERS 

|HE  ledge  up  which  the  ladders  led  from  the 
direction  of  the  gorge,  it  will  be  remembered, 
formed  the  northern  support  of  the  plateau. 
The  unscalable  cliff  terminated  its  extent  to 
the  south;  and  of  the  two  longer  sides  the  one  on  the 
west  overlooked  Whiteside  Cove,  and  that  on  the  east 
Cashiers  valley.  The  view  into  the  Cove  over  the  boulder 
side  of  the  mountain,  after  the  trees  which  grew  on  the 
edge  were  reached,  was  broad  and  unobstructed.  On  the 
eastern  side  there  was  but  one  gap  in  the  timber  which 
covered  the  mountain-side  from  the  end  of  the  ledge  to 
the  cliff,  through  which  a  perfect  view  could  be  had  of  the 
settlement  in  the  valley.  Before  Andy  Zachary  left  the 
plateau.  Lieutenant  Coleman  had  sketched  a  rude  plot  of 
the  mountains  overlooking  the  valley,  and  at  the  guide's 
dictation  had  written  down  the  name  of  each  peak.  Yellow 
Mountain  was  the  nearest,  and  showed  a  dark,  timbered 
ridge  beyond  the  gorge.  At  the  northern  end  of  the  valley 
rose  the  mass  of  Sheep  Cliff,  and  joined  to  it  were  the  lesser 

93 


94  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

ridges  of  Big  and  Little  Terrapin.  Hog's  Back  showed  its 
blue  top  ten  miles  away  to  the  east,  beyond  the  nearer 
wooded  ridges  that  shut  in  the  vaUey  on  that  side,  down 
to  Rock  Mountain  and  Chimney  Top,  which  reared  their 
sharp  peaks  to  the  right  of  the  plateau.  Directly  below 
this  eastern  outlook  lay  the  one  white  road  which  ran 
through  the  valley,  the  same  road  along  which  the  caval- 
cade had  picked  its  silent  way  in  the  small  hours  of  the 
morning,  five  months  before,  when  they  had  come,  full  of 
hope,  to  estabhsh  the  station. 

Our  exiles  up  to  this  time  had  been  so  busy  with  their 
preparations  for  winter  that  they  had  given  but  little  at- 
tention to  their  neighbors  below.  They  had  noticed  on 
frosty  mornings  columns  of  white  smoke  rising  straight 
into  the  air  from  half  a  dozen  cabins  in  the  vaUey,  most 
of  which  had  been  hidden  from  view  by  the  thick  foliage 
during  the  summer  months.  Now  that  the  November 
winds  had  stripped  the  trees  of  their  leaves,  two  cabins 
appeared  in  the  direction  of  Sheep  Cliff,  standing  side  by 
side  among  the  bare  oaks  on  a  knoll  which  sloped  gently 
to  the  road.  The  two  seemed  to  be  precisely  alike,  with 
rude  verandas  in  front,  and  at  no  great  distance  back  of 
these,  in  an  open  clearing,  surrounded  with  orchards  and 
stacks,  was  a  long  house  with  a  heavy  stone  chimney  at 
each  end.  Scattered  to  the  right  of  the  plateau  were  sev- 
eral cabins,  and  close  on  the  road  a  square  brown  building 
which  looked  to  be  a  store.  Just  below  this  point  of  rocks 
where  the  three  solders  looked  down  on  the  valley  stood 
the  largest  house  in  the  settlement,  old  and  rambling  in 


THE  PRISONERS  95 

construction,  with  lurching  chimneys  and  roofs  extending 
to  left  and  rear.  The  woodpile  was  at  the  opposite  side 
of  the  road,  and  comfortable  log  barns  stood  on  the  hill- 
side above.  All  these  details  were  to  be  seen  with  the 
naked  eye,  but  the  powerful  telescope  of  the  station  re- 
vealed much  more,  even  showing  the  faces  and  forms  of 
the  people  who  lived  in  the  cabins. 

As  the  three  exiles  were  lounging  together  one  after- 
noon at  this  very  point  of  rocks,  studying  their  neighbors 
through  the  telescope  as  if  they  had  been  the  inhabitants 
of  another  planet,  Philip  broke  the  silence  with  quite  an 
original  speech— one  only  he  could  make. 

''  See  here,  fellows,"  he  said  with  that  new  familiarity 
they  had  begun  to  show  toward  each  other,  "as  we  are 
likely  to  take  considerable  interest  in  these  people  down 
below,  it  will  be  mighty  inconvenient  when  we  talk  about 
them  to  say,  '  The  man  in  the  big  house  across  the  road 
from  the  log  barn  did  this,'  or  '  The  man  in  the  farthest 
twin  cabin  did  that,'  or  '  The  old  chap  in  the  long  house 
flanked  by  orchards  and  stacks  did  something  else ' ;  so  I 
say,  let 's  give  them  family  names." 

The  others  laughingly  admitted  that  the  idea  was  not 
a  bad  one,  and  Bromley  suggested  at  random  the  names 
Smith,  Jones,  and  Brown. 

"  As  good  as  any  others,"  said  Philip. 

"  Very  well,"  said  Bromley,  "  then  we  will  call  this  first 
neighbor  'Smith.'" 

"  No,  you  don't,"  cried  Philip,  with  much  spirit.  "  I  've 
taken  a  prejudice  against  that  old  fellow,  because  he  sits 


96  THE  LAST   THEEE  SOLDIERS 

on  the  woodpile  and  smokes  his  pipe  every  afternoon 
while  his  wife  does  the  milking.  Smith  is  too  respectable 
a  name  for  him." 

"  I  did  n't  know,"  said  Coleman,  laughing,  "  that  there 
was  any  particular  virtue  in  the  name  of  Smith." 

" I  did  n't  say  there  was,"  said  Philip,  "but  if  this  first 
old  loafer  should  turn  out  half  as  bad  as  I  fear  he  will,  the 
name  would  be  a  slur  on  too  many  families,  you  know. 
Now,  if  it 's  all  the  same  to  you,  gentlemen,  we  will  begin 
at  the  other  end  and  call  the  man  of  the  orchard  '  Smith.' 
'Jones'  naturally  falls  to  the  owner  of  the  second  twin 
cabin,  and  this  fellow  below  becomes— say,  'Shifless,' 
whether  he  likes  it  or  not." 

As  no  one  of  the  three  had  ever  heard  of  any  one  of  the 
name  of  Shifless,  Philip's  arrangement  was  agreed  to,  and 
from  time  to  time  they  settled  other  names  on  the  dwellers 
in  every  cabin  in  sight,  and  one  column  of  smoke  which 
rose  from  behind  an  intervening  ridge  was  spoken  of  as 
"Thompson's  smoke." 

On  the  morning  of  December  23  in  that  first  year  on  the 
mountain,  the  three  soldiers  were  thrown  into  a  great  state 
of  excitement  by  a  remarkable  discovery.  Coleman  and 
Bromley  were  clearing  off  the  snow  from  a  stack  of  pea- 
vines,  preparatory  to  beating  them  out  on  the  floor  of  the 
house,  when  Philip  came  running  toward  them,  holding 
up  the  telescope  and  beckoning  them  to  meet  him.  He 
said  he  had  seen  three  United  States  officers  at  the  long 
cabin  under  Sheep  Cliff,  which  was  known  as  Smith's. 
The  others  needed  no  urging  to  follow  Philip.     Indeed, 


THE  PRISONERS  97 

they  ran  so  rapidly  over  the  frozen  ground  in  the  rare 
upper  air  that  they  scarcely  had  breath  for  speaking  when 
they  arrived  on  the  point  of  rocks.  Philip  directed  the 
glass  on  the  house  again,  and  then,  with  a  cry  of  delight, 
he  passed  it  to  Coleman. 

"  There  they  are !  There  they  are !  See  ?  By  the  end 
of  the  house !  " 

As  soon  as  the  lieutenant  had  adjusted  the  powerful 
glass  to  his  eye,  he  had  the  men  before  him  almost  as  dis- 
tinctly as  if  they  had  been  standing  within  hailing  dis- 
tance. There  was  no  mistaking  the  evidence  that  two  of 
them  were  officers  of  what  the  three  soldiers  considered 
the  beaten  and  disbanded  army,  while,  although  the  third 
was  in  citizen's  dress,  it  was  unlike  the  dress  of  the 
mountaineers. 

"  Heaven  help  them !  "  exclaimed  Lieutenant  Coleman, 
as  he  gazed  in  amazement  on  the  scene  at  the  end  of  the 
long  house.  "  How  ragged  they  are  !  They  must  have 
been  hunted  through  the  woods  like  wild  animals.  Both 
of  the  two  in  uniform  wear  jackets  of  the  mounted  service, 
and — stop— as  sure  as  you  are  born,  the  taUer  of  the  two 
is  a  lieutenant  of  artillery.  He  has  but  one  shoulder-strap 
left,  and  that  has  too  dark  a  ground  for  either  cavalry  or 
infantry.  They  may  be  from  the  staff.  There  is  some- 
thing about  their  uniforms,  in  spite  of  rags  and  dirt,  that 
makes  me  think  so.  The  other  carries  a  roll  of  blankets 
over  his  shoulder— he  must  be  a  soldier ;  and  they  have 
just  come  in,  too,  for  their  haversacks  are  mighty  lean." 

It  looked  as  if  the  poor  fellows  had  found  friends  at 
6 


98  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

last ;  for,  while  they  stood  talking  with  two  women  at  the 
end  of  the  house,  Smith  himself,  who  was  a  lank  moun- 
taineer with  a  red  beard,  was  lounging  by  the  gate  with 
his  gun  on  his  shoulder,  as  if  watching  against  surprise 
from  the  road.  Bromley,  who  had  been  patiently  waiting, 
now  took  the  glass. 

"  By  Jove !  "  he  cried,  "  there  are  four  girls  there  now, 
and  the  short  officer  is  going  into  the  house.  You  are 
right,  Fred ;  the  old  man  is  on  guard,  with  a  sharp  eye  in 
his  head,  too.  They  are  all  going  into  the  house  now,  by 
Neighbor  Smith's  advice,  I  fancy.  I  '11  tell  you  who  they 
are,  Fred.  They  are  escaped  prisoners  from  Charleston. 
They  must  have  been  hiding  in  the  woods  and  swamps 
for  months.  If  that  is  the  condition  of  the  officers  of  the 
United  States  that  were,  a  thousand  times  better  is  our 
lot  on  this  free  mountain-top."  And  returning  the  glass, 
Bromley  ventured  some  bitter  reflections  on  the  Congress 
and  the  high  officials  who  had  conducted  the  war  to  a  dis- 
astrous end. 

''  We  must  not  lose  sight  of  these  unhappy  men  while 
they  remain  in  the  valley,"  said  Coleman ;  and,  it  then 
being  ten  o'clock,  he  settled  himself  behind  the  glass,  and 
gave  his  watch  to  Bromley,  who  was  to  relieve  him  at  twelve. 

Philip  was  too  much  excited  by  the  presence  of  the 
fugitive  officers  to  leave  the  rocks  of  his  own  accord ;  but 
Coleman  presently  sent  him  to  the  house  for  a  loaded 
carbine,  which  was  laid  by  in  a  dry  niche  of  granite,  to  be 
fired  as  a  signal  to  the  others  in  case  of  any  movement  of 
importance  at  the  cabin  below.     For  the  rest  of  the  morn- 


THE  PRISONERS  99 

ing  Smith  with  his  gun  kept  his  post  at  the  gate,  and  the 
ofl&cers  were  never  once  seen  outside  the  cabin.  Judging 
by  the  volume  of  smoke  from  both  chimneys,  it  would 
appear  that  they  were  faring  pretty  well  inside. 

Shortly  before  noon  one  of  the  girls  ran  through  the 
bare  woods  to  the  two  cottages  overlooking  the  road,  and 
brought  back  Jones,  who  relieved  Smith  at  the  gate.  It 
was  evident  that  Jones  was  friendly  to  the  officers,  for 
when  he  was  relieved  in  turn  he  went  into  the  house,  and 
it  was  a  long  time  before  he  came  out. 

Whoever  was  on  watch  was  seldom  alone,  so  keen  was 
the  interest  of  the  exiles  in  the  movements  of  their  feUow- 
soldiers,  and  in  any  other  happening  which  might  concern 
them.  According  to  Philip,  who  took  the  post  of  obser- 
vation at  four  o'clock,  old  Shifless  bossed  the  milking  from 
the  woodpile  as  usual.  It  was  plain  that  he  had  not  been 
taken  into  the  confidence  of  the  Smiths  or  the  Joneses,  and 
this  fact  was  laid  up  against  him. 

After  supper  all  three  gathered  on  the  rocky  lookout, 
and  remained  observing  the  lights  at  the  cabin  of  the 
Smiths  long  after  it  was  too  dark  to  use  the  telescope. 
There  were  no  signs  of  departure  below,  and  after  they 
returned  to  the  house,  chilled  by  exposure  and  inaction, 
they  sat  until  a  late  hour  by  the  warm  fire,  discussing  the 
events  of  the  day  and  laying  plans  for  the  morrow. 

At  the  first  indication  of  dawn  Bromley  dressed  and  set 
out  for  the  rocks,  while  his  comrades  turned  over  for  an- 
other nap,  which  was  taken  with  one  eye  open,  so  excited 
were  they  in  view  of  what  might  happen  during  the  day. 


100  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

In  their  drowsy,  half -wakeful  state  it  seemed  to  Coleman  and 
Philip  as  if  no  time  at  aU  had  passed  since  the  departure 
of  Bromley  when  they  were  startled  by  the  echoing  report 
of  the  carbine.  Hurrying  on  their  clothing,  they  scam- 
pered across  the  hard  snow  to  the  rocks,  where  they  found 
Bromley  with  the  telescope  fixed  on  the  house  of  Shifless. 

"There  the  old  rogue  is,"  said  Bromley,  handing  the 
spy-glass  to  Coleman,  "  leading  his  mule  out  of  the  stable. 
He  must  have  got  some  information  during  the  night,  for, 
after  going  to  the  stable  with  a  lantern,  he  climbed  up 
on  to  that  ridge  beyond  and  looked  over  at  Smith's  clear- 
ing as  if  he  wanted  to  satisfy  himself  that  all  was  quiet 
there.  I  suspected  he  was  up  to  some  deviltry  as  soon  as 
I  got  out  here,  for  I  saw  a  light  in  the  house,  showing  first 
from  one  window  and  then  from  another.  Drat  his  pic- 
ture !  "  Bromley  continued.  "  As  soon  as  he  began  cMmb- 
ing  the  hill  I  fired  the  alarm." 

"I  never  knew  him  to  turn  out  before  eight  o'clock," 
said  PhUip. 

"  He  certainly  means  mischief,"  said  Coleman,  ''  for  he 
is  saddling  the  mule.  Now  he  has  blown  out  the  lantern 
and  hung  it  on  the  bar-post.  Now  he  is  mounting,  the 
treacherous  old  villain!  Confound  him!  there  he  goes 
trotting  down  the  road  toward  the  store." 

Philip  and  Bromley  took  a  look  at  the  man,  hurrying 
along  in  the  gray  of  the  morning  before  another  soul  was 
awake  in  the  settlement,  and  then  they  saw  him  turn  on 
to  the  road  which  would  lead  him  around  the  mountain 
into  the  Cove. 


THE  PRISONERS  101 

"  If  I  were  only  down  in  his  neighborhood  now,"  said 
Coleman,  following  Shifless  with  the  telescope,  "with  a 
good  rifle,  I  'd  tumble  him  off  that  mule.  I  should  be 
serving  my  country." 

"What  country?"  sneered  Bromley. 

To  this  Coleman  made  no  reply,  and  the  three  walked 
slowly  across  the  mountain  to  the  boulder  side.  They  had 
not  long  to  wait  there  before  the  man  on  the  mule  appeared 
on  the  road  below,  and  they  followed  him  with  scowling 
eyes  until  he  drew  up  in  front  of  the  Cove  post-office,  dis- 
mounted, and  went  in. 

"  Of  course,"  exclaimed  Bromley,  "  the  postmaster  is  a 
creature  of  the  Confederacy." 

In  half  an  hour  the  two  men  trotted  away  together,  and 
soon  disappeared  among  the  mountains. 

Our  heroes  turned  back,  certain  in  their  minds  that  this 
stealthy  journey  of  Shifless  had  been  Tindertaken  with 
hostile  intentions  toward  the  three  officers  who  still  re- 
mained in  the  cabin  under  the  shadow  of  Sheep  Cliff. 
They  felt  keenly  their  inability  to  warn  them  of  the 
danger  which  hung  over  them,  and  hoped  that  during  the 
day  they  might  see  the  visitors  leaving  the  valley. 

Their  anxiety  now  made  it  necessary  to  watch  for  de- 
velopments in  the  Cove  as  well  as  in  the  valley,  and  they 
scarcely  found  time  to  prepare  their  meals,  which  they  ate 
as  they  moved  about.  All  day  the  telescope  was  in  transit 
from  one  side  of  the  mountain  to  the  other  until  there  was 
a  deep  path  trodden  in  the  snow.  From  time  to  time  one 
or  another  of  the  officers  was  seen  near  the  cabin,  and 


102  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

even  if  they  had  not  been  seen  at  all,  the  presence  of  Smith 
or  one  of  the  girls  watching  at  the  gate  would  have  been 
sufficient  evidence  that  the  officers  were  still  there.  They 
might  be  waiting  for  a  guide  or  the  cover  of  night  be- 
fore going  on.  The  day  was  unusually  cold,  and  be- 
yond the  smoke  from  the  chimneys,  and  here  and  there 
a  woman  in  a  doorway,  there  was  no  movement  in  the 
quiet  valley. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  of  this  December  24— for  it  was 
Christmas  eve,  and  not  a  very  cheerful  one  on  the  moun- 
tain— Bromley,  who  was  watching  on  the  Cove  side,  spied 
a  body  of  men  at  that  very  point  in  the  road  where  the 
two  horsemen  had  disappeared  in  the  morning.  He 
shouted  so  lustily  for  the  telescope  that  both  Philip  and 
Coleman  joined  him  with  all  haste. 

What  they  saw  through  the  glass  was  a  straggling 
column  of  mountaineers  advancing  in  single  file  along  the 
winding  road,  their  steel  rifle-barrels  catching  the  last  rays 
of  the  setting  sun.  There  were  thirteen  men  in  the  party, 
of  whom  about  half  wore  some  pai't  of  a  Confederate  uni- 
form ;  but  neither  Shifless  nor  the  Cove  postmaster  was 
with  them.  They  had  scarcely  time  to  pass  the  glass  from 
one  to  another,  in  their  excitement,  before  the  men  left  the 
road  and  turned  up  the  mountain-side  with  a  stealthy 
movement  that  made  it  plain  they  were  going  into  tempo- 
rary concealment. 

A  few  extracts  from  Lieutenant  Coleman's  diary  at  this 
point  give  a  vivid  picture  of  what  was  happening  during 
the  night  on  the  mountain  and  about  it. 


THE  PRISONERS  103 

"  I  am  writing  by  the  light  of  the  fire  in  our  house  on 
this  Christmas  eve,  at  10  :  30  o'clock  by  my  watch,  power- 
less to  warn  our  friends  at  the  cabin  of  the  impending 
calamity.  Soon  after  dark,  fire  appeared  on  mountain- 
side, and  it  is  now  burniug  brightly,  as  reported  by  Philip, 
who  has  just  retm-ned  to  the  lookout. 

"  12,  midnight.     Have  just  come  in— fire  still  visible. 

"  12 :  35.  Phihp  reports  that  fire  has  just  been  extin- 
guished on  mountain-side.  Sparks  indicated  fire  was  put 
out  by  beating  and  scattering  the  brands.  We  are  all  about 
to  go  to  Point  of  Rocks— shall  probably  be  up  all  night." 

It  seems  that  as  soon  as  day  began  to  dawn  faintly  on 
the  mountain-tops,  and  while  it  was  still  dark  in  the 
valley,  the  three  soldiers  were  crouching  on  the  rocks 
eagerly  awaiting  light  in  the  clearing.  First  the  white- 
washed walls  of  the  cabin  came  into  view,  and  then,  in  the 
gray  dawn,  as  they  fully  expected,  they  began  to  distin- 
guish motionless  figures  stationed  at  regular  intervals  in 
the  clearing,  and  forming  an  armed  cordon  about  the 
house.  There  was  no  sign  of  smoke  from  the  stone  chim- 
neys, nor  any  other  evidence  that  the  inmates  had  been 
disturbed  by  the  soldiers  or  had  awakened  of  their  own 
accord. 

There  was  one  hope  left.  The  oflacers  might  have  gone 
away  during  the  night.  They  should  soon  know;  and 
meanwhile  the  snowy  mountains  reared  their  dark  ridges 
against  the  slowly  reddening  eastern  sky,  and  a  great 
silence  lay  on  the  vaUey. 


CHAPTER  XI 

EST  WHICH  THE   SOLDIERS  MAKE  A  MAP 

^HE  forbearance  of  the  captors  to  disturb  their 
prisoners  was  puzzling  to  the  three  soldiers 
huddled  together  on  the  point  of  rocks. 
Through  the  telescope  the  men  could  now  be 
plainly  seen,  in  their  rough  mountain  dress,  moving  to 
and  fro  on  their  stations,  and  apparently  keeping  under 
cover  where  trees  or  outhouses  were  available  as  a  mask. 
At  one  point  several  men  were  grouped  together  behind  a 
fodder-stack,  as  if  in  consultation,  and  on  the  road  could 
be  seen  one  who  seemed  to  be  watching  impatiently  for 
some  expected  arrival. 

Holding  the  telescope  soon  grew  tiresome,  and  they 
passed  it  from  one  to  another,  that  no  movement  in  the 
gruesome  pantomime  might  escape  their  observation ;  and 
the  observer  for  the  time  being  broke  the  silence  at  inter- 
vals with  details  of  what  he  saw. 

"  There ! "  cried  Philip,  at  last,  "  the  men  are  getting 
lively  behind  the  fodder-stack.  Now  the  fellow  in  the 
road  is  waving  his  hat.     Hold  on !     There  comes  a  man— 

104 


IN  WHICH  THE  SOLDIERS  MAKE  A  MAP  105 

two  men— on  horseback.  Now  the  sentinels  are  moving 
in  toward  the  cabin." 

Thus  the  cordon  was  drawn  close  about  the  house,  in 
which  the  inmates  stiU  showed  no  signs  of  life.  The 
horsemen  dismounted  and  tied  their  horses  to  the  fence, 
and  then,  with  an  armed  guard,  advanced  to  the  door. 
Lieutenant  Coleman  looked  at  his  watch.  It  was  twenty 
minutes  after  seven.  At  seven  twenty-eight  the  old 
mountaineer  appeared,  and  was  passed  down  the  line  to 
the  road.  Next  came  the  three  officers,  one  after  the 
other,  and  they  were  removed  to  one  side  under  guard. 
Then  the  four  women  seemed  to  be  driven  out  of  the  house 
by  the  soldiers,  and  forced  along  by  violence  into  the  road. 
Some  of  the  men  appeared  to  be  breaking  the  windows  of 
the  cabin,  and  others  were  running  out  of  the  open  door, 
appropriating  some  objects  and  ruthlessly  destroying 
others.  For  the  first  time  the  soldier  exiles  realized  how 
far  they  were  removed,  by  their  own  will,  from  a  world  in 
which  they  had  no  part.  The  sufferers  were  their  friends 
whom  they  knew  not,  and  to  help  whom  they  had  no 
power.  They  were  like  spirits  looking  down  from  a  world 
above  on  the  passions  of  mortals— as  helpless  to  interfere 
as  the  motionless  rocks. 

After  a  brief  consultation  the  mounted  men  rode  away 
to  the  north,  while  the  prisoners,  with  their  guards,  ad- 
vanced in  the  opposite  direction  and  soon  disappeared 
behind  that  ridge  up  which  Shifless  had  climbed  to  look 
over  in  the  gray  of  the  morning  of  the  day  before.  A 
puff  of  smoke  burst  from  the  deserted  cabin  and  rose  like 


106  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

a  tower  into  the  frosty  air.  Fire  gleamed  through  the 
broken  windows,  and  red  tongues  of  flame  licked  about 
the  dry  logs,  and  lashed  and  forked  under  the  eaves  and 
about  the  edges  of  the  shingled  roof.  The  reflection  from 
the  flames  reddened  the  snow  in  the  little  clearing.  The 
stacks  caught  fire.  The  boughs  of  the  orchard  withered 
and  crisped  in  the  fierce  heat. 

Now,  as  if  satisfied  with  their  work  of  destruction,  the 
men  who  had  remained  at  the  house  joined  the  others  be- 
hind the  ridge,  and  the  armed  guards,  with  their  miserable 
prisoners,  soon  reappeared,  moving  over  the  snow  under 
the  bare  trees.  The  three  soldiers  lay  out  on  the  rocks 
above  to  watch  the  poor  captives  picking  their  way  down 
a  stony,  winding  trail,  forming  one  stragghng  file  between 
two  flanking  columns  of  mountaineers.  Knowing  some- 
thing of  the  stoical  ways  of  these  people,  they  could  feel 
the  sUence  of  that  gloomy  progress.  They  even  fancied 
they  could  hear  the  crunching  of  the  snow,  the  rolling  of 
displaced  stones  on  the  frosty  hillside,  the  crackling  of 
brittle  twigs  under  foot,  and  the  subdued  sobbing  of  the" 
women. 

Steadily  the  procession  of  ill  omen  moved  along  over  the 
snow  under  the  thin  trees,  disappearing  and  reappearing 
and  dwindling  in  the  distance,  untU  it  was  lost  behind  the 
spurs  of  the  mountain  called  Chimney  Top.  By  this  time 
the  roof  of  the  house  had  fallen  into  the  burning  mass 
between  the  two  stone  chimneys ;  the  sun  had  risen,  and 
the  dense  column  of  smoke  cast  a  writhing  shadow  against 
the  snowy  face  of  Sheep  Cliff. 


■THE  FONYLS  HUNG  ABOUT   THE  DOOE.' 


IN  WHICH  THE   SOLDIEES  IVIAKE  A  MAP  109 

When  the  glass  was  brought  to  bear  on  the  house  and 
road  below,  it  revealed  Shifless  and  the  Cove  postmaster 
riding  quietly  home  on  their  mules,  doubtless  well  satisfied 
with  the  evil  deed  their  heads  had  planned. 

As  the  three  soldiers  turned  back  in  the  direction  of 
their  house,  Bromley  was  in  a  rage,  and  Philip  could  no 
longer  command  himself.  All  three  were  worn  and  hag- 
gard with  loss  of  sleep,  and  depressed  by  the  outcome  of 
the  affair  in  the  valley. 

In  fact,  the  disheartening  effect  of  the  experiences  con- 
nected with  this  first  Christmas  continued  to  oppress  our 
exiles  well  into  the  next  year.  If,  in  the  narrow  valley  on 
which  they  were  privileged  to  look  down,  three  officers  of 
the  old  armies  had  been  thus  hunted  and  dragged  off  be- 
fore their  eyes,  they  had  reason  to  believe  that  fragments 
of  those  armies  were  receiving  similar  or  worse  treatment 
wherever  they  might  be  found.  Time  and  their  daily  work 
gradually  calmed  their  minds  and  helped  them  to  forget 
the  pain  of  what  they  had  seen.  They  missed  the  company 
of  the  bear,  too ;  for  even  before  this  great  disturbance  of 
their  tranquillity  that  amusing  companion  of  their  solitude 
had  burrowed  himself  away,  to  consume  his  own  fat,  where 
not  even  their  telescope  could  discover  him  for  several 
months. 

Presently  the  winter  snows  became  deeper  on  the 
mountain,  and  they  were  confined  more  and  more  to  the 
house.  The  Slow-John  was  frozen  up  in  the  branch,  and 
the  fowls,  which  could  no  longer  forage  for  their  own  liv- 
ing, hung  about  the  door  for  the  scraps  from  the  table  and 


110  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

an  occasional  handful  of  corn.  They  roosted  in  the  cabin 
of  the  old  man  of  the  mountain,  and  now  and  then,  in 
return  for  their  keep,  laid  an  egg,  which  was  often  frozen 
before  it  was  found. 

The  soft,  clean  husks  of  the  corn,  added  to  the  pine 
boughs,  made  comfortable  beds,  and  the  tents  spread  over 
the  blankets  provided  abundant  covering.  Grreat  bunches 
of  catnip  and  pennyroyal  for  tea  hung  from  the  rafters, 
and  even  the  wild  gentian,  potent  to  cure  all  ailments,  was 
not  forgotten  in  the  winter  outfit. 

The  prayer-book  and  Army  Regulations,  which  formed 
their  library,  were  read  and  re-read,  and  discussed  until 
theology  and  the  art  of  clothing  and  feeding  an  army  were 
worn  threadbare.  Phihp,  who  was  blessed  with  a  vivid 
imagination  and  great  originality,  made  up  the  most  mar- 
velous ghost-stories  and  the  most  heartrending  and  finally 
soul-satisfying  romances,  which  were  recited  in  the  even- 
ings before  the  fire,  to  the  huge  enjoyment  of  his  compan- 
ions. If  it  was  romance,  a  fat  pine-knot  thrust  between 
the  logs  illumined  the  interior  and  searched  the  farthest 
corners  and  crannies  of  the  room  with  a  flood  of  light ;  and 
in  case  it  was  a  ghost-story,  the  logs  were  left  to  burn  low 
and  fall  piecemeal  into  the  red  coals  before  the  eyes  of  the 
three  figures  sitting  half  revealed  in  sympathetic  obscurity. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  incidents  of  the  first  winter 
was  the  construction,  by  Lieutenant  Coleman,  of  a  map  of 
the  "old  United  States,"  and  the  plotting  thereon  of  the 
Confederacy  as  they  supposed  it  to  be.  When  it  is  re- 
membered that  the  map  was  drawn  entirely  from  memory, 


IN  WHICH  THE   SOLDIERS  MAKE  A  MAP  111 

the  clear  topographical  knowledge  of  the  officer  was,  to  say 
the  least,  surprising. 

The  first  reference  to  the  map  is  found  in  Lieutenant 
Coleman's  entry  in  the  diary  for  the  24th  of  January, 
1865: 

"As  we  were  sitting  before  the  fire  last  night,  George 
introduced  a  subject  which,  by  common  consent,  we  have 
rather  avoided  any  reference  to  or  conversation  upon. 
This  related  to  the  probable  boundaries  of  the  new  nation 
established  by  the  triumphant  Confederates.  We  had  no 
doubt  that  the  Confederacy  embraced  all  the  States  which 
were  slaveholding  States  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion ; 
and  as  they  doubtless  had  made  Washington  their  capital, 
it  was  more  than  probable  that  they  had  added  little  Dela- 
ware to  Maryland  on  their  northern  border.  We  assumed 
that  so  long  as  there  were  two  governments  in  the  old 
territory,  the  Ohio  River  would  be  accepted  as  a  natural 
boundary  as  far  as  to  the  Mississippi;  but  we  were  of 
widely  different  opinions  as  to  the  line  of  separation 
thence. 

"  George,  who  is  inclined  to  the  darker  view,  is  of  the 
opinion  that  the  Southern  republic,  if  it  be  a  republic  at 
all,  would  certainly  demand  an  opening  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  and  therefore  must  embrace  a  part,  if  not  the 
whole,  of  California. 

"February  16.  We  have  been  confined  to  the  house 
two  days  by  a  driving  snow-storm,  and  the  territorial 
extent  of  the  Confederacy  has  come  up  again,  not,  how- 


112  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

ever,  for  the  first  time  since  the  discussion  on  the  23d  of 
January.  As  we  still  have  one  stormy  month  before  the 
opening  of  spring,  I  have  determined  to  enter  upon  the 
construction  of  a  map  which  shall  lay  down  the  probable 
boundaries  of  the  two  nations.  When  George  and  I  are 
unable  to  agree,  the  point  in  dispute  will  be  argued  before 
Philip,  and  settled  by  the  votes  of  the  three." 

On  February  17,  then,  this  map  was  begun  on  the  inner 
side  of  one  of  the  rubber  ponchos  after  buttoning  down 
and  gluing  with  pitch  the  opening  in  the  center.  It  was 
stretched  on  a  frame,  and  thus  provided  a  clean  white 
canvas  five  feet  square  on  which  to  draw  the  map. 

If  Lieutenant  Coleman  and  his  companions  had  known 
that  General  Sherman,  after  whom  they  had  named  their 
island  in  the  sky  and  whom  they  moui-ned  as  dead,  was 
that  very  morning  marching  into  the  city  of  Columbia,  the 
capital  of  South  Carolina,  with  aU  his  bands  playing  and 
flags  flying,  the  map  would  never  have  been  made,  and  the 
life  on  the  mountain  would  have  come  to  a  sudden  end. 
Fortunately  for  the  continuance  of  this  history,  they  were 
ignorant  of  that  fact,  and  Lieutenant  Coleman  on  this  very 
day  began  plotting  his  map  with  charcoal.  After  going 
over  the  coasts  and  watercourses  and  estabhshing  the 
boundaries  of  States,  and  that  greatest  and  most  difficult 
of  all  boundaries,  the  one  between  "  the  two  countries,"  he 
would  blow  off  the  charcoal  and  complete  the  details  with 
ink.  Of  this  necessary  fluid  there  was  a  canteen  fuU, 
which  had  been  made  in  the  fall  from  oak-gaUs  (lumps  or 


EN  WHICH  THE  SOLDIEES  MAKE  A  MAP  113 

balls  produced  on  the  oak-leaves  by  tiny  insects)  and  the 
purple  pokeberries  which  had  been  gathered  from  the  field 
below  the  ledge.  The  oak-leaves  had  been  steeped  in 
warm  water,  and  this  mixture,  together  with  the  berries, 
had  been  strained  through  a  cloth  and  bottled  up  in  the 
canteen. 

While  at  West  Point,  Cadet  Coleman,  of  the  class  of  '63, 
had  devoted  himself  to  mapping,  and  he  believed  he  was 
tolerably  familiar  with  his  subject  until,  at  the  very  out- 
set, difficulties  began  to  arise.  He  found  that  his  know- 
ledge about  the  Northwestern  Territories  was  shaky,  and 
it  was  difficult  to  convince  Bromley  that  Arkansas  was  not 
west  of  Kansas. 

They  finally  gave  little  Delaware  to  the  Confederacy, 
accepting  the  bay  and  river  as  a  natural  geographical 
separation.  Thence  they  followed  the  southern  boundary 
of  Pennsylvania  to  the  Ohio  River,  the  Ohio  and  Missis- 
sippi to  the  southern  boundary  of  Iowa,  and  thence  west 
and  south  on  the  northern  and  western  frontiers  of  Mis- 
souri. The  Indian  Territory  became  the  first  point  of 
disagreement. 

Under  date  of  March  1, 1865,  Lieutenant  Coleman  says : 

"With  the  aid  of  Philip,  I  pressed  the  boundary  line 
south  to  the  Red  River.  We  all  conceded  Texas  to  the 
Confederacy.  I  was  disposed  to  establish  the  extreme 
western  boundary  of  the  Confederacy  as  identical  with  the 
western  frontier  of  Texas.  George  allowed  this  so  far 
as  the  Rio  Grande  formed  a  natural  boundary  along  the 


114  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

frontier  of  Mexico,  but  stoutly  insisted  that  the  successful 
Southerners  would  never  consent  to  a  settlement  which 
did  not  extend  their  borders  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  To 
this  claim  on  the  part  of  the  South  he  contended  that  the 
imbecility  of  Congress  and  the  timidity  of  Northern  leaders 
would  offer  little  or  no  opposition.  He  held  that  if  they 
took  part  of  Cahf  ornia,  they  might  as  well  take  the  whole ; 
and  in  either  case  they  would  take  New  Mexico  and  Ari- 
zona as  the  natural  connection  with  their  Pacific  territory. 
"I  contended  that  California  had  never  been  a  slave 
State,  and  would  never  consent  to  such  an  arrangement. 
To  this  George  replied  that  California  was  without  troops, 
and  that  her  wishes  would  not  be  a  factor  in  the  solution 
of  the  problem ;  that  the  South,  flushed  with  victory,  could 
not  be  logically  expected  to  content  itself  with  less ;  that 
it  would  be  a  matter  to  be  settled  between  the  two  govern- 
ments, and  that,  for  his  part,  he  saw  no  reason  to  believe 
that  the  North,  in  view  of  its  blunders  civil  and  its  fail- 
ures military,  would  have  the  power  or  the  courage  to 
prevent  such  seizure  by  the  enemy.  Philip  leaned  to  this " 
view,  and  was  even  willing  to  throw  in  Utah  for  senti- 
mental reasons." 

Bromley  showed  great  skill  and  cleverness  in  advocat- 
ing his  peculiar  views.  When  he  had  a  point  to  gain, 
with  the  natural  cunning  of  a  legal  mind,  he  took  care  to 
begin  his  argument  by  claiming  much  more  than  he  ex- 
pected to  establish.  Thus,  not  content  with  the  concession 
of  California  and  the  southern  tier  of  Territories  leading 


'  PHILIP  MADE  UP  THE  MOST  MARVELOUS  STORIES,  WHICH  WERE   RECITED 
BEFORE    THE    FIRE." 


IN  WHICH   THE  SOLDIEES  MAKE  A  MAP  117 

thereto,  he  called  the  attention  of  the  others  to  the  great 
Rocky  Mountain  range,  offering  itself,  from  the  north- 
western extremity  of  Texas  to  the  British  possessions,  as 
a  natural  geographical  wall  between  nations.  He  admitted 
that  the  Western  men  had  been  the  bone  and  sinew  of  the 
late  fruitless  struggle ;  but  they  were  the  hardy  soldiers  of 
Illinois,  Wisconsin,  Iowa,  and  Kansas,  still  far  to  the  east 
of  the  great  mountain-range,  with  vast  uncivilized  Terri- 
tories between. 

To  this  view  Lieutenant  Coleman  opposed  the  jealousy 
of  the  great  aUy  of  the  South  as  not  likely  to  favor  an 
unequal  partition ;  he  said  that  England  would  certainly 
not  lend  her  aid  to  bringing  the  more  aggressive  of  the 
two  nations  up  to  her  own  colonial  borders.  Besides,  he 
contended,  the  South  was  without  a  navy,  and  at  the  out- 
set could  never  defend  such  a  great  addition  to  her  already 
vastly  superior  coast-line. 

This  long  argument  resulted  in  a  compromise,  and  by 
the  decision  of  Philip,  California,  Arizona,  and  New  Mexico 
were  given  to  the  Confederacy,  and  half  the  Pacific  coast 
was  saved  to  the  old  government. 

Bromley's  matter-of-fact  character  had  no  sentimental 
side.  He  was  a  worker,  and  no  dreamer.  He  threw  him- 
self with  aU  the  weight  of  his  convictions  and  the  force  of 
his  weU-trained  mind  into  the  discussion  of  the  extent  of 
the  Confederate  victory;  but  the  moment  the  boundary 
was  settled  he  seemed  to  forget  the  existence  of  the  map 
and  to  lose  himself  in  the  next  piece  of  work. 

After  completing  the  outlines  of  the  map  in  ink.  Lieu- 


118  THE  LAST   THEEE   SOLDIEKS 

tenant  Coleman  began  laying  a  tone  of  lines  over  the  whole 
Confederacy.  As  the  work  progressed,  the  tkree  soldiers 
watched  the  new  power  creeping  like  an  ominous  shadow 
over  the  map.  The  one  break  in  the  expanse  of  gloom 
was  the  white  star  at  the  northwestern  corner  of  North 
Carohna,  which  marked  the  location  of  Sherman  Territory. 
When  the  map  was  finished  and  hung  on  the  logs,  the 
Confederacy  looked  like  nothing  so  much  as  a  huge  dragon 
crouching  on  the  GuK  of  Mexico,  with  the  neck  and  head 
elevated  along  the  Pacific  and  the  tail  brushing  Cuba. 

Although  they  accepted  the  map  without  further  dis- 
cussion, its  white  face,  looking  down  on  them  from  the 
waU  as  they  sat  about  the  evening  fire,  provoked  many  a 
talk  about  affairs  in  the  world  below.  The  time  for  the 
election  of  a  new  President  had  passed  since  they  had  been 
on  the  mountain.  After  the  complete  and  pitiful  collapse 
of  Lincoln's  administration,  they  had  no  doubt  that  Mc- 
Clellan  had  been  elected.  Philip  thought  the  new  capital 
should  be  located  at  Piqua,  Ohio  (which  was  where  his 
uncle  lived),  as  it  was  near  the  center  of  population ! 

But  Bromley  favored  the  city  of  Cleveland.  Ohio,  he 
pointed  out,  extended  entirely  across  the  Union,  and,  as 
the  State  which  linked  the  two  parts  together,  it  would 
need  to  be  strongly  guarded,  and  the  capital  with  its  troops 
and  fortifications  would  strengthen  that  weak  link  in  the 
chain.  Cincinnati  was  too  close  to  the  enemy's  territory 
to  be  thought  of  as  a  capital. 

Shortly  before  undertaking  the  map.  Lieutenant  Cole- 
man had  the  good  fortune  to  bring  down  a  large  gray 


120  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

eagle,  which,  although  soaring  high  above  the  valleys, 
was  but  just  skimming  the  mountain-top.  This  was  a 
fortunate  event,  because  the  very  last  steel  pen  had  become 
very  worn  and  corroded.  Lieutenant  Coleman  had  been 
longing  above  all  things  for  quills,  and  now  that  he  wrote 
again  with  an  easy  and  flowing  hand,  he  seems  to  have 
forgotten  that  his  supply  of  paper  was  limited.  In  the 
controversy  over  the  map  the  entries  are  of  unusual  length, 
and  then  suddenly  they  become  brief  and  cramped,  and 
are  written  in  so  small  a  hand  that  there  can  be  no  doubt 
the  writer  took  sudden  alarm  on  discovering  how  few  blank 
pages  were  left  in  the  book. 

Since  Christmas  the  telescope  had  rarely  been  taken 
from  its  place  on  the  chimney,  and  if  they  looked  over  into 
the  Cove  or  the  valley  without  it,  those  snow-covered  re- 
gions below  were  far-off  countries,  where  the  houses  showed 
only  as  rounded  forms,  and  the  human  ants  who  lived  in 
them  were  scarcely  visible. 


CHAPTER  XII 

HOW  THE  BEAR  DISGRACED  HIMSELF 

[T  last  the  long  winter  came  to  an  end.  By  the 
middle  of  March  the  warm  sun  and  soft  south 
winds  began  to  thaw  the  February  snows.  On 
such  a  day,  when  the  afternoon  sun  beat  with 
unusual  warmth  on  the  northern  face  of  the  mountain,  the 
three  soldiers  stood  together  in  front  of  the  house,  noting 
everywhere  the  joyful  signs  of  the  approach  of  spring. 
The  snow,  where  it  lay  thickest  in  the  hoUows  of  the 
plateau,  was  soft  and  porous  and  grimy  with  dirt.  There 
were  bare  spaces  here  and  there  on  the  ground,  and  where 
a  stick  or  a  stone  showed  through  the  thin  crust  the  snow 
had  retired  around  it  as  if  it  gave  out  a  heat  of  its  own. 
The  melting  icicles  pendent  from  the  eaves  glittered  in  the 
sun  and  dripped  into  the  channels  alongside  the  walls. 

They  had  a  great  longing  to  see  the  grass  and  the  leaves 
again  and  welcome  the  early  birds  of  spring.  As  they 
looked  about  on  these  hopeful  signs  in  the  midst  of  the 
great  stillness  to  which  they  had  become  used,  a  sudden 
deafening  crash  rang  in  their  startled  ears.   The  sound  was 

7*  121 


122  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

like  the  explosion  of  a  mine  or  the  dull  roar  of  a  siege- 
mortar  at  a  little  distance  away.  It  came  from  the  Cove 
to  the  north,  and  the  first  crash  was  followed  by  lesser 
reports,  and  each  sound  was  echoed  back  from  the  moun- 
tains beyond. 

The  fii'st  thought  of  the  three  soldiers  was  of  the  open- 
ing of  a  battle.  Their  first  fear  was  that  a  great  mass  of 
earth  and  rock  had  fallen  from  the  edge  of  the  plateau  to 
the  base  of  the  mountain.  They  made  their  way  cautiously 
in  the  direction  of  the  sound,  almost  distrusting  the  ground 
under  their  feet.  The  gnarled  chestnuts  on  the  edge  of 
the  cliff  were  as  firmly  rooted  as  ever.  When  they  had 
advanced  to  where  PhUip's  sharp  eyes  caught  the  first  view 
of  the  postmaster's  cabin  through  the  twisted  tree-trunks, 
he  remembered  the  words  of  Andy,  the  guide,  on  the  night 
when  they  had  waited  for  the  moon  to  go  down.  He 
quickly  caught  the  arms  of  his  companions. 

"It 's  the  avalanche,"  he  said— "the  icicles  and  the  ice 
falling  into  the  Cove  from  the  face  of  the  great  boulder." 

They  could  see  tiny  figures  standing  about  the  cabin, 
and  they  shrank  back  lest  they,  too,  might  be  seen  by  the 
people,  who  were  evidently  gazing  with  all  their  eyes  at 
the  top  of  the  mountain. 

Just  then  there  was  another  deafening  crash,  and  at 
intervals  all  day  long  they  heard  the  falling  of  the  ice. 

"  They  are  the  opening  guns  of  spring,"  said  Lieutenant 
Coleman ;  and  now  that  they  knew  what  the  sound  was, 
they  listened  eagerly  for  each  report. 

Late  on  that  very  afternoon,  as  they  sat  together  out- 


HOW  THE  BEAE  DISGRACED  HIMSELF  123 

side  the  house,  they  saw  Tumbler,  the  bear,  shambHng 
down  the  hillside  in  front  of  the  house,  and  they  had  no 
doubt  he  had  been  awakened  from  his  winter's  nap  by  the 
roar  of  the  avalanche.  He  was  thin  of  flesh  and  ragged 
of  fur,  and  so  weak  on  his  clumsy  legs  that  he  sat  down 
at  short  intervals  to  rest.  He  made  his  way  first  to  the 
branch,  where  he  refreshed  himself  with  a  drink,  and  then 
came  on  with  renewed  vigor  toward  the  house.  He  was 
such  a  very  disreputable-looking  bear,  and  had  been  gone 
so  long,  and  must  be  so  dangerously  hungry,  that  the  men 
stood  up  doubtfully  at  his  approach  until  they  saw  a  weak 
movement  of  his  stumpy  tail  and  the  mild  look  in  his 
brown  eyes  as  he  seated  himself  on  the  chips  and  lolled 
out  his  red  tongue. 

Philip  brought  him  a  handful  of  roast  potatoes,  which 
he  devoured  with  a  relish,  and  then  stood  up  so  hand- 
somely to  ask  for  more  that  they  rolled  him  raw  ones 
until  his  hunger  was  satisfied,  after  which  he  waddled 
through  the  open  door,  and  lay  down  for  another  nap  in 
his  old  place  by  the  fire,  just  as  if  he  had  gone  out  but 
yesterday,  which  was  probably  just  what  he  thought  he 
had  done. 

By  this  time  the  last  page  of  the  station  journal  had 
been  used,  and  Lieutenant  Coleman  had  added  to  it  the 
five  fly-leaves  of  the  precious  Blue  Book,  which  he  had  cut 
out  neatly  with  his  knife.  Paper  was  so  scarce  at  last  that 
on  this  March  16,  which  was  the  day  the  bear  woke  up,  the 
circumstance  of  the  avalanche  alone  was  recorded,  and 
that  was  entered  after  the  date  in  the  most  wonderfully 


124  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

small  and  cramped  letters  you  can  imagine.  Now,  Philip 
was  of  the  opinion  that  the  return  of  the  bear  was  of  quite 
as  much  importance  as  the  falling  of  the  ice.  It  happened 
that  he  had  in  his  breast  pocket  a  letter  which  had  been 
written  to  him  by  his  uncle.  It  was  postmarked,  "  Piqua, 
Ohio,"  and  addressed,  "Philip  Welton,  Co.  C,  2d  Ohio 
Infy.,  Camp  near  Resaca,  Ga."'  Philip  had  been  looking 
over  Coleman's  shoulder  as  he  made  the  cramped  entry  in 
the  diary. 

"  Now  look  here,"  said  he,  taking  up  the  quiU  as  it  was 
laid  down ;  "  if  you  don't  choose  to  make  a  record  of  the 
bear,  I  wiU."  So  taking  from  his  pocket  the  letter,  he 
wrote  across  the  top  of  the  envelop : 

"Whiteside  Mountain,  March  16,  1865. 
"  Tumbler,  the  bear,  woke  up  to-day. 
"(Signed)  Philip  Welton, 

"George  Bromley, 
"Frederick  Henry  Coleman." 

"  Well,"  said  Coleman,  "  what  are  you  going  to  do  with 
that  ?     Drop  it  over  into  the  Cove  ? " 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  said  Philip.  "  I  am  just  going  to  keep 
the  record  out  of  respect  to  the  bear " ;  and  with  that,  as 
it  happened,  he  put  the  envelop  back  in  one  pocket  and  the 
letter  in  another.  But  a  few  weeks  later,  when  the  snow 
had  quite  gone  and  the  buds  were  beginning  to  swell  on 
the  trees,  Philip  was  chopping  on  the  hill  where  the 
boulder  side  of  the  mountain  joined  the  cliff  above  the 


HOW  THE  BEAE  DISGEACED  HIMSELF  125 

spring ;  and  as  he  grew  warm  witli  his  work  he  cast  off  his 
cavalry  jacket,  and  it  happened  in  some  way  that  the  en- 
velop on  which  he  had  written  fell  out  into  the  grass. 
Philip  did  not  notice  this  loss  at  the  time,  and  it  was  a 
week  before  he  missed  the  envelop.  He  kept  his  loss  to 
himself  at  first,  but  as  he  became  alarmed  lest  it  should 
blow  over  into  the  Cove  and  disclose  their  hiding-place,  he 
confessed  to  Lieutenant  Coleman  what  had  happened. 

The  three  soldiers  searched  everywhere  for  this  danger- 
ous paper,  except  in  the  snug  place  under  the  tuft  of  grass 
where  it  lay.  It  was  suspected  that  Philip  was  repenting 
of  the  agreement  he  had  made  to  remain  on  the  mountain, 
and  both  Coleman  and  Bromley  lectured  him  roundly  for 
his  carelessness.  While  Philip  was  still  chafing  under  the 
suspicions  of  his  comrades,  all  the  more  that  he  was  con- 
scious of  his  perfect  loyalty  to  the  old  flag  and  to  the  com- 
pact they  had  made  together  for  its  sake,  the  bear  was 
growing  stronger  every  day  and  more  mischievous. 
Although  he  had  the  whole  plateau  to  roam  over,  nothing 
seemed  to  please  Tumbler  so  much  as  to  nose  about  and 
dig  into  the  grave  of  the  old  man  of  the  mountain.  He 
was  such  a  wicked  bear  that  the  more  they  kicked  and 
cuffed  him  away,  the  more  stubbornly  he  came  back  to  his 
unholy  work ;  and  then  it  appeared  that  the  light  soil  of 
the  mound  had  been  taken  possession  of  by  a  colony  of 
ants.  It  was  a  temptation  such  as  no  hungry  bear  could 
resist,  and  the  sacrilege  was  so  offensive  to  the  three 
soldiers  that  they  resolved  to  remove  the  last  remnant  of 
the  ant-hill  and  fill  it  in  with  clay  in  which  no  insect  could 


126  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

live.  It  was  after  supper  when  they  came  to  this  resolu- 
tion, and  they  fell  to  work  at  once  with  the  wooden  spade 
and  a  piece  of  tent-cloth,  in  which  Phihp  carried  the  dirt 
a  stone's-throw  away  and  piled  it  into  a  new  mound.  The 
bear  seemed  to  think  this  was  all  for  his  benefit,  and  while 
the  work  went  merrily  on  he  rooted  into  the  new  heap  and 
wagged  his  stumpy  tail  with  every  evidence  of  gratitude 
and  satisfaction. 

It  was  a  sufficiently  disagreeable  task  for  Coleman  and 
Bromley,  whose  legs  and  bodies  were  bitten  by  the  ants 
until  they  danced  with  pain.  At  the  same  time  the  little 
pests  went  up  Philip's  sleeves  and  came  out  on  his  neck. 
Bad  as  the  business  was,  they  set  their  teeth  and  kept  at 
work,  determined  to  finish  it  now  they  had  begun.  Of 
course  the  colony  was  mostly  near  the  surface  of  the 
ground ;  but  when  they  had  gone  down  three  feet  into  the 
sandy  soil  there  were  still  ants  burrowing  about. 

Now,  Bromley  was  a  man  of  great  resolution  and  per- 
severance, and  although  it  was  growing  dark  he  had  no 
thought  of  stopping  work ;  so  he  called  for  a  pine  torch, 
which  Coleman  held  on  the  bank  above.  Wlien  the  earth 
gave  way,  the  oak  slab  with  the  peculiar  inscription,  "  One 
who  wishes  to  be  forgotten,"  was  tenderly  removed  and 
leaned  against  the  hut,  to  be  reverently  reset  the  next  day. 
Annoying  as  the  ants  were,  the  soldiers  continued  their 
work  with  that  feeling  of  awe  which  always  attends  the 
disturbing  of  a  grave;  and  as  they  dug  they  spoke  with 
charity  and  tenderness  of  the  old  man  of  the  mountain. 
It  made  them  think  of  the  time  when  they  themselves 


HOW  THE  BEAR  DISGRACED  HIMSELF  127 

would  be  laid  to  rest  in  the  same  soil ;  and  if  they  breathed 
any  inward  prayer,  it  was  that  their  remains  might  sleep 
undisturbed.  Although  they  were  young,  and  death 
seemed  a  long  way  off,  the  thought  came  to  them  of  the 
last  survivor,  and  how  lonely  he  would  be,  and  how,  when 
he  should  die,  there  would  be  no  one  left  to  bury  his  poor 
body  in  the  ground. 

"  Whatever  happens,"  said  Philip,  "  I  don't  want  to  be 
the  last." 

The  pine  torch  flared  and  smoked  in  the  cool  night  wind, 
and  lighted  the  solemn  faces  of  the  three  soldiers  as  well 
as  the  hole  in  the  earth,  where  Bromley  stiU  stood  to  his 
middle.  There  was  yet  a  little  loose  earth  to  be  thrown 
out  before  they  left  the  work  for  the  night,  and  Philip  had 
brought  some  sticks  of  wood  to  lay  over  the  grave  lest  in 
the  morning  the  bear  should  begin  to  dig  where  they  had 
left  off.  He  had,  in  fact,  come  up  and  seated  himself  in 
the  circle  of  light,  and  was  looking  on  with  great  interest 
at  their  proceedings. 

"  I  declare,"  said  Bromley,  just  then,  straightening  him- 
self, "  I  have  gone  too  far  already.  My  spade  struck  on 
the  coffin— that  is,  I  think  it  did.  Perhaps  I  had  better 
see  what  condition  it  is  in.     What  do  you  think,  Fred  ? " 

"  No,"  said  Philip ;  "  cover  it  up." 

"It  will  be  as  well,"  said  Lieutenant  Coleman,  "now 
that  we  have  the  opportunity,  to  see  that  everything  is  all 
right.  I  can't  help  feeling  that  the  old  man's  remains  are 
in  our  care." 

"  Hold  the  light  nearer,  then,"  said  Bromley,  as  he  got 


128  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

down  on  his  knees  and  commenced  to  paw  away  the  loose 
earth  with  his  hands. 

Philip  was  silent,  and,  soldier  though  he  was,  his  face 
blanched  in  the  neighborhood  of  one  poor  coffin. 

Both  the  men  outside  were  staring  intently  into  the  open 
grave.  The  torch-light  feU  broadly  on  Bromley's  back, 
and  cast  a  black  shadow  from  his  bent  body  into  the  space 
below,  where  his  hands  were  at  work. 

"  WeU,  this  is  queer ! "  said  he,  straightening  his  back 
and  showing  a  sui-prised  face  to  the  light.  "  I  've  struck 
the  chime  of  a  cask." 

"  No !  "  cried  Coleman  and  Philip  together. 

"  Yes,  I  have,"  said  Bromley.     "  Hand  me  the  spade." 

Now  the  work  of  digging  was  begun  in  good  earnest, 
and,  I  am  afraid,  with  less  awe  than  before  of  what  lay 
below.  Light  as  the  soil  was,  the  opening  had  to  be  en- 
larged, and  it  was  hard  upon  midnight  when  the  small 
beer-keg  was  free  enough  to  be  moved  from  its  resting- 
place.  "With  the  first  joggle  Bromley  gave  it,  there  was  a 
sound  of  chinking  like  coin. 

"  Do  you  hear  that  ? "  exclaimed  Bromley.  "  That 's  not 
the  sound  of  bones." 

"  It 's  money  !  "  cried  Philip. 

Lieutenant  Coleman  said  nothing,  but  jumping  down  to 
the  aid  of  Bromley,  they  lifted  it  out  on  the  grass,  where 
it  rolled  gently  down  a  little  slope,  chink-a-ty-chink, 
chink-a-ty-chink. 

"  Bring  the  ax  !  " 

"  No ;  let 's  roll  it  into  the  house !  " 


HOW  THE  BEAR  DISGRACED   HIMSELF  129 

"  It 's  money ! " 

''  It 's  nails  !  " 

"  Bring  it  in  to  the  fire,"  said  Lieutenant  Coleman,  going 
ahead  with  the  torch.  So  they  rolled  the  tough  old  cask, 
chink-a-ty-chink,  around  the  cabin  and  up  to  the  house, 
into  the  open  door  and  across  the  earthen  floor,  and  set  it 
on  end  on  the  stone  hearth.  They  were  reeking  with  per- 
spiration. Coleman  threw  the  torch  upon  the  smoldering 
logs,  and  by  the  time  Bromley  had  the  ax  there  was  a 
ruddy  light  through  the  room. 

"  Stand  back,"  he  cried  as  he  swung  the  ax  aloft. 

Three  times  the  ax  rang  on  the  head  of  the  cask,  the 
firelight  glittering  in  the  eyes  of  the  soldiers,  before  the 
strong  head  gave  way  on  one  side,  and  three  golden  guineas 
bounced  out  on  to  the  hearth.  Bromley  dropped  the  ax, 
and  then  all  three,  without  deigning  to  notice  the  gold 
pieces  upon  the  floor,  thrust  their  hands  deep  down  into 
the  shining  mass  of  gold  coin. 

All  hustled  and  pushed  one  another  at  the  opening. 
Philip  was  on  the  point  of  striking  out  right  and  left  in 
sheer  excitement ;  and  in  their  scramble  the  cask  was  over- 
turned so  that  the  yellow  pieces  poured  out  upon  the 
floor  and  the  hearth,  and  some  flopped  into  the  fire,  while 
others  roUed  here  and  there  into  the  dark  corners  of  the 
room.  The  golden  guineas  which  first  appeared  were  now 
covered  with  gold  double-eagles,  and  there  were  a  few  sil- 
ver coins  in  the  bottom  of  the  cask. 

The  three  soldiers  hugged  one  another  with  delight. 

"  We  are  rich !  "  cried  Philip. 


130  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

"Let  's  count  our  treasure,"  said  Coleman.  "The 
double-eagles  first— fifty  to  a  thousand." 

Forgotten  was  the  old  man  of  the  mountain,  forgotten 
were  their  weariness  and  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  as  they 
eagerly  fell  a-counting. 

They  piled  the  shining  yellow  columns  on  the  mantel- 
piece ;  and  when  that  was  full,  without  stopping  to  count 
the  thousands,  they  began  bunches  of  piles  on  the  hard 
floor. 

They  could  hardly  believe  that  such  a  treasure  had  fallen 
to  their  possession. 

In  their  greedy  delight  they  utterly  forgot  the  old  flag 
of  the  thirty-five  stai's,  and  the  total  defeat  of  the  Union 
armies,  as  they  toiled  and  counted. 

Philip  was  the  first  to  yield  to  the  demands  of  tired 
nature.  With  his  hands  full  of  gold,  he  sank  down  on  his 
bunk  and  fell  asleep.  Lieutenant  Coleman  was  the  next ; 
and  as  the  cock  began  to  crow  at  earliest  dawn,  Bromley 
bolted  the  door  for  the  first  time  since  the  house  had  been 
built,  and  crept  exhausted  into  his  blankets. 

The  treasure  was  found,  as  shown  by  the  diary,  on 
Friday,  April  14,  in  the  year  1865,  on  the  very  night  of 
the  murder  of  the  good  President  whom  the  three  soldiers 
believed  to  be  living  somewhere,  a  monument  of  failure 
and  incapacity. 

The  entry  was  in  a  few  brief  words,  and  by  the  Sunday 
which  followed.  Lieutenant  Coleman  would  not  have  ex- 
changed the  four  blank  leaves  of  the  diary  for  the  whole 
treasure  they  had  dug  up.     After  the  first  excitement 


'THE  CASK  WAS  OVEKTUKNED  SO  THAT  THE  YELLOW  PIECES  POUKED  OUT 
UPON  THE  FLOOR." 


HOW  THE  BEAR   DISGRACED  HIMSELF  133 

of  their  discovery  they  began  to  realize  that  the  yellow 
stamped  pieces  were  of  no  value  except  as  a  medium  of 
exchange,  and  that,  as  there  was  nothing  on  the  mountain 
for  which  to  exchange  them,  they  were  of  no  value  at  all. 
If  they  had  found  a  saucepan  or  a  sack  of  coffee  in  the 
cask,  they  would  have  had  some  reason  to  rejoice. 

So  it  fell  out  that  within  a  week's  time  the  gold  was 
looked  upon  as  so  much  lumber,  and  the  cask  which  held 
it  was  kicked  into  a  dark  corner,  neglected  and  despised. 
Some  of  the  coins  were  even  trodden  under  foot,  and 
others  lay  among  the  chips  at  the  door. 

On  the  evening  of  the  second  Sunday  after  the  discov- 
ery of  the  gold,  they  sat  together  outside  the  door  of  the 
house,  and  tried  to  think  of  some  likely  thing  the  cask 
might  have  held  more  useless  than  the  guineas  and  double- 
eagles  ;  and,  hard  as  they  tried,  they  could  name  nothing 
more  worthless.  The  result  was  that  they  turned  away  to 
their  beds,  feeling  poor  and  dissatisfied,  and  down  on  their 
luck. 

Now  it  happened,  as  the  three  soldiers  lay  asleep  in  their 
bunks  that  night,  and  while  Tumbler  slept  too,  with  his 
nose  and  his  hairy  paws  in  the  Hght,  cool  ashes  of  the  fire- 
place (for  the  nights  were  warm  now),  there  came  up  a 
brisk  wind  which  blew  across  the  mountain  from  the 
southwest.  This  rising  wind  went  whistling  on  its  way, 
tossing  the  tree-tops,  up  on  the  hill  above  the  birches, 
whirling  the  dry  leaves  across  the  plateau,  scattering  them 
on  the  field  below  the  ledge,  and  even  dropping  some 
stragglers  away  down  into  the  Cove  far  below. 


134  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

At  first  this  wind  only  shook  the  tuft  of  grass  that  over- 
hung the  lost  envelop,  and  then,  as  it  grew  stronger, 
whirled  it  from  its  snug  hiding-place,  and  tumbled  it  over 
and  over  among  the  dry  chestnut-burs  and  the  old,  gray, 
dead  limbs. 

If  the  envelop  came  to  a  rest,  this  wind  was  never  con- 
tent to  leave  its  plaything  alone  for  long.  When  it  landed 
the  little  paper  against  a  stump  and  held  it  fluttering  there 
until  that  particular  gust  was  out  of  breath,  the  envelop 
fell  to  the  ground  of  its  own  weight,  only  to  be  picked  up 
again  and  tossed  on,  little  by  little,  always  in  the  same 
direction,  until  at  last  it  lay  exposed  on  the  brow  of  the 
hill  to  a  braver  and  stronger  blast,  which  lifted  it  high  into 
the  air  and  sent  it  sailing  over  the  roof  of  the  house. 

This  envelop,  with  the  names  of  the  three  soldiers  and 
their  hiding-place  written  out  in  a  fail*,  round  hand,  might 
have  sailed  along  on  the  southwest  wind  until  it  fell  at  the 
door  of  the  post-of&ce  in  the  Cove  but  for  the  queer  way 
it  had  of  navigating  the  air.  It  would  turn  over  and  over 
on  its  way,  or  shoot  up,  or  dart  to  one  side,  or  take  some 
unexpected  course ;  and  so  just  as  it  was  sailing  smoothly 
above  the  house,  its  sharp  edge  tui'ned  in  the  wind,  and 
with  a  backward  dive  it  struck  hard  on  the  rock  below 
Philip's  leach.  Just  a  breath  of  wind  turned  it  over 
and  over  on  the  stone,  until  it  fell  noiselessly  into  the 
pool  of  lye. 

Now,  Lieutenant  Coleman  chanced  to  come  out  first  in 
the  morning ;  and  when  he  saw  the  lost  envelop  floating  on 
the  dark-brown  pool  alongside  a  hen's  egg,  which  had  been 


HOW  THE  BEAR  DISGRACED  HIMSELF  135 

placed  there  to  test  the  strength  of  the  liquid,  he  was  glad 
it  had  blown  no  farther.  The  paper  had  turned  very 
yellow  in  the  strong  potash,  and  so  he  fished  it  out  with 
a  twig,  and  cai'ried  it  across  to  the  branch  by  the  Slow- 
John,  and  dipped  it  into  the  water.  When  he  picked  it 
out  it  was  still  slimy  to  the  touch,  and  the  letters  had 
faded  a  little.  He  brushed  a  word  with  his  finger,  and  the 
letters  dissolved  under  his  eyes. 

He  gave  a  great  cry  of  joy ;  for  in  that  instant  he  saw 
the  possibiUty  of  converting  into  blank  paper,  for  keeping 
their  records,  the  five  hundred  and  ninety-four  pages  of 
the  Revised  Army  Regulations  of  1863. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

HOW  THE  BEAR  DISTINGUISHED  HIMSELP 

;F  the  old  man  of  the  mountain  was  not  in  his 
grave,  where  was  he  ?  He  had  certainly  not 
gone  back  to  the  world  and  left  the  buried 
treasure  behind  him.  If  the  grave  had  been 
empty,  the  soldiers  might  have  suspected  foul  play. 
Josiah  Woodring,  who  had  been  his  agent  and  provider, 
had  already  been  five  years  in  Ms  own  grave  at  the  time 
they  had  arrived  on  the  mountain.  As  long  as  they  be- 
lieved that  the  bones  of  the  old  man  were  quietly  at  rest 
under  the  oak  slab  in  the  garden  spot,  the  condition  of  the 
hut,  neglected  and  going  to  decay,  was  sufficient  evidence 
that  he  had  died  there,  and  that  no  one  had  occupied  it  for 
more  than  five  years  before.  With  almost  his  last  breath 
Josiah  had  announced  his  death  to  the  doctor  from  the 
settlement;  and  under  such  solemn  circumstances  it  was 
impossible  to  believe  that  he  had  stated  anything  but  the 
truth.  He  had  not  mentioned,  it  is  true,  the  precise  time 
when  the  old  man  died. 

After  the  night  when  the  treasure  was  found,  the  three 

136 


HOW  THE  BEAR  DISTINGUISHED  HIMSELF        137 

soldiers,  to  thoroughly  satisfy  themselves,  had  cleared 
away  the  earth  down  to  the  bed-rock.  Indeed,  the  cask 
itself  was  evidence  enough  that  the  bones  of  the  old  man 
were  not  below  it,  for  he  himself  must  have  buried  that. 
If  Josiah  had  known  of  its  existence,  it  would  certainly 
have  traveled  down  through  the  settlement  in  his  two-steer 
cart,  Kke  any  other  honest  cask,  and  neither  cattle  nor 
driver  would  have  ever  come  back.  After  taking  such  a 
load  to  market,  Josiah  would  have  established  himself  in 
luxury  in  his  ignorant  way,  and  probably  cut  a  great 
splurge  in  the  "  low  country,"  with  no  end  of  pomp  and 
vulgarity. 

The  three  soldiers  studied  this  problem  with  much  care, 
weighing  all  the  evidence  for  and  against.  They  even  hit 
upon  a  plan  of  determining  when  the  old  man  came  limp- 
ing through  the  settlement  of  Cashiers  behind  Josiah's  cart, 
covered  with  dust,  and  staggering  under  the  weight  of  his 
leathern  knapsack.  They  emptied  out  the  little  keg  of 
gold  on  the  earthen  floor  a  second  time,  and  began  a 
search  for  the  latest  date  on  the  coins.  Some  were  re- 
markably old  and  badly  worn.  A  few  of  the  guinea  pieces 
bore  the  heads  of  the  old  Georges  and  "  Dei  gratia  Eex," 
and  17—  this  and  17—  that,  and  some  of  the  figures  were 
as  smooth  as  the  pate,  and  as  blind  as  the  eyes,  of  the 
king  on  the  coin.  The  newest  double-eagles— and  there 
were  quite  a  number  of  them — bore  the  date  1833,  so  it 
must  have  been  in  that  year  or  the  year  following  that  the 
old  man  without  a  name  had  given  up  the  world  and  be- 
come a  hermit  on  the  mountain. 


138  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

They  decided  that  he  must  have  had  his  own  ideas  about 
the  vanity  of  riches,  and  that  after  doling  out  his  gold,  or, 
more  likely,  his  small  silver  pieces,  with  exceeding  stingi- 
ness to  Josiah  for  the  small  services  rendered  him,  when 
he  saw  his  end  approaching,  he  had  buried  the  cask  of 
treasure,  and  set  up  the  slab  above  it,  trusting  to  the 
superstition  with  which  the  mountain  people  regarded  the 
desecration  of  a  grave  to  protect  the  gold  for  all  time.  It 
would  certainly  have  protected  it  from  any  examination 
by  the  soldiers  but  for  the  strange  behavior  of  the  bear, 
who  had  no  delicate  scruples.  The  old  man  had  probably 
told  Josiah,  with  a  cunning  leer  in  his  eyes,  that  the  empty 
grave  was  a  bhnd  to  deceive  any  one  who  might  climb  to 
the  top  of  the  mountain,  as  the  hunters  had  done  long  be- 
fore, and  very  likely  he  had  given  him  a  great  big  silver 
half-dollar  to  wink  at  this  little  plan.  When  death  did 
really  come  at  last  to  claim  its  own,  it  was  evident  that 
Josiah,  faithful  to  the  old  man's  request,  had  either  taken 
his  remains  down  the  mountain  or  buried  them  somewhere 
on  the  plateau  without  mound  or  slab  to  reveal  the  place, 
and,  as  likely  as  not,  he  had  found  enough  small  change 
in  the  old  miser's  pockets  to  pay  him  for  his  trouble. 

Thus  the  mystery  of  the  old  man  of  the  mountain  was 
settled  by  the  three  soldiers,  after  much  discussion,  and 
the  cask  of  gold  was  trundled  back  into  the  dark  comer 
of  the  house,  where  they  threw  their  waste,  and  such  gui- 
neas and  double-eagles  as  had  joggled  out  upon  the  floor 
were  kicked  after  it. 

Directly  after  the  lost  envelop  had  turned  up  in  the 


HOW  THE  BEAR  DISTINGUISHED  HIMSELF        139 

pool  of  lye,  Lieutenant  Coleman  had  made  his  arrange- 
ments for  the  manufacture  of  blank  paper  for  the  diary. 
The  Blue  Book  was  his  personal  property,  but  before 
commencing  its  destruction  he  counseled  with  Bromley, 
who,  as  a  man  of  letters,  he  felt,  under  the  circumstances, 
had  an  equal  interest  with  himself  in  the  fate  of  one  half 
of  their  common  library.  Bromley,  seated  on  the  bank 
alongside  the  leach,  was  engaged  at  the  time  in  making  a 
birch  broom,  and  as  he  threw  down  the  bunch  of  twigs  a 
shade  of  disappointment  overspread  his  handsome  face. 
He  said  that  he  had  never  thoroughly  appreciated  the 
work  of  the  learned  board  of  compilers  until  his  present 
exile,  and  that  it  contained  flights  of  eloquence  and  scraps 
of  poetry— if  you  read  between  the  lines. 

"  But,  putting  all  joking  aside,"  said  Bromley,  "  begin 
with  a  single  leaf  by  way  of  experiment,  and  let  us  see 
first  what  will  be  the  effect  on  the  fiber  of  the  paper ;  and 
then,  if  everything  works  well,  we  will  first  sacrifice  the 
index  and  the  extracts  from  the  Acts  of  that  renegade 
Congress  whose  imbecility  has  blotted  a  great  nation  from 
the  map  of  the  world." 

Lieutenant  Coleman  had  more  confidence  in  the  result 
of  the  experiment  they  were  about  to  make  than  had 
Bromley,  for  the  increased  length  of  his  entry  in  the  diary 
shows  that  he  was  no  longer  economizing  paper : 

"April  26,  1865.  Wednesday.  We  have  cut  out  ten 
leaves  of  the  index  of  the  Blue  Book,  which  we  scattered 
loosely  on  the  surface  of  the  lye  in  the  cavity  of  the  rock. 


140  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

After  twenty  minutes  I  removed  a  leaf  which  had  under- 
gone no  perceptible  change  in  appearance,  and  washed  it 
thoroughly  in  running  water.  While  so  doing  I  was 
pleased  to  find  that  with  the  lightest  touch  of  my  fingers 
the  ink  dissolved,  leaving  underneath  only  a  faint  trace  of 
the  letters,  which  would  in  no  way  interfere  with  my  writ- 
ing. It  required  much  patience  to  cleanse  the  paper  of 
the  shmy  deposit  of  potash. 

"Thursday,  April  27,  1865.  Of  the  leaves  prepared 
yesterday,  two,  which  were  less  carefully  washed  than  the 
others,  are  somewhat  yellowed  by  the  potash  and  show 
signs  of  brittleness. 

"April  30.  We  have  continued  our  paper-making  ex- 
periments, and  find  that  a  longer  bath  in  a  weaker  solu- 
tion of  lye  has  the  same  effect  on  the  ink,  and  is  less 
injurious  to  the  fiber  of  the  paper.  Philip  has  burned  a 
lot  of  holes  in  one  of  the  cracker-boxes,  in  which  we 
place  the  leaves,  leaving  them  to  soak  in  the  running 
water." 

Thus  it  turned  out  that  the  dangerous  envelop,  by  a 
freak  of  the  sportive  wind,  was  made  to  play  an  important 
part  in  the  economy  of  the  exiles,  while  the  cask  of  gold 
stood  neglected  in  the  corner,  and  the  summer  of  1865 
began  with  no  lack  of  paper  on  which  to  record  its  events. 
Both  Philip  and  the  bear  had  been  in  temporary  disgrace, 
the  one  for  losing  the  tell-tale  envelop,  and  the  other  for 
disturbing  the  sacred  quiet  of  a  grave.  Both  cases  of 
misbehavior  had  resulted  in  important  discoveries,  but 


HOW  THE  BEAE  DISTINGUISHED  HIMSELF        141 

the  mishap  of  Philip  had  produced  such  superior  benefits 
that  the  bear  was  fairly  distanced  in  the  race.  This  may 
have  been  the  reason  that  prompted  Tumbler  to  try  his 
hand,  or  rather  his  paw,  agam,  for  he  was  a  much  cleverer 
bear  than  you  would  think  to  look  at  his  small  eyes  and 
flat  skull.  At  any  rate,  one  hot  morning  in  July  he  put 
his  foot  in  it  once  more,  and  very  handsomely,  too,  for  the 
benefit  of  his  masters. 

It  was  Philip  who  caught  the  first  view  of  him  well  up 
on  the  trunk  of  the  tallest  chestnut  on  the  plateau,  which, 
growing  in  a  sheltered  place  under  the  northwest  hill, 
had  not  been  dwarfed  and  twisted  by  the  winds  like  its 
fellows  higher  up.  At  the  moment  he  was  discovered,  he 
was  licking  his  paw  in  the  most  peaceful  and  contented 
way,  while  the  air  about  his  head  was  thick  with  a  small 
cloud  of  angry  bees,  darting  furiously  among  the  limbs 
and  thrusting  their  hot  stings  into  his  shaggy  coat,  seem- 
ing to  disturb  him  no  more  than  one  small  gnat  can  dis- 
turb an  ox.  The  soldiers  had  been  deprived  of  sweets 
since  the  last  of  the  sugar  had  been  used,  in  the  early 
winter,  and  a  supply  of  honey  would  just  fit  the  cravings 
of  their  educated  taste.  Share  and  share  alike,  bear  and 
man,  was  the  unwritten  law  of  Sherman  Territory,  and 
so,  while  Philip  shouted  for  the  ax,  he  began  to  throw 
clubs  at  Tumbler,  which  were  so  much  larger  and  more 
persuasive  than  the  stings  of  the  bees  that  the  bear  began 
promptly  to  back  his  way  down  the  trunk  of  the  tree. 

Coleman  and  Bromley  appeared  in  a  jiffy,  casting  off 
their  jackets  and  rolling  up  their  sleeves  as  they  came. 


142  THE  LAST   THEEE   SOLDIEES 

When  the  chips  began  to  fly,  Tumbler  sat  down  to  watch, 
evidently  feeling  that  some  superior  intelligence  was  at 
work  for  his  benefit,  while  the  stupid  bees  kept  swarming 
about  the  hole  above,  except  a  few  stray  ones  who  had 
not  yet  got  tired  of  burrowing  into  the  shaggy  coat  of  the 
bear,  and  these  now  turned  their  attention  to  the  men  and 
were  promptly  knocked  down  by  wisps  of  grass  in  the 
hands  of  Coleman  and  Philip,  while  Bromley  plied  the  ax. 
If  only  they  had  had  a  supply  of  sulphur,  by  waiting  until 
the  bees  were  settled  at  night,  they  could  have  burned 
some  in  the  opening  made  by  the  ax,  and  with  the  noxious 
fumes  destroyed  the  last  bee  in  the  tree.  Then,  too,  if 
they  had  been  in  less  of  a  hurry  they  might  have  waited 
until  a  frosty  morning  in  November  had  benumbed  the 
bees ;  but  in  that  case  Tumbler  would  have  eaten  all  the 
honey  he  could  reach  with  his  paws. 

As  it  was,  the  swarm  extended  so  low  that,  as  soon  as 
the  ax  opened  the  first  view  into  the  hollow  trunk,  the 
bees  began  to  appear,  and  the  opening  had  to  be  stuffed 
with  grass,  and  a  bucket  of  water  which  Philip  brought 
did  not  come  amiss  before  the  chopping  was  done.  All 
this  time  Tumbler  licked  his  jaws,  and  kept  his  beady  eyes 
fixed  on  the  top  of  the  tree,  like  a  good  coon  dog,  and 
never  stirred  his  stumps  until,  with  the  last  blow  of  the 
ax,  the  old  tree  creaked,  and  swayed  at  the  top,  and  feU 
with  a  great  crash  down  the  hill. 

The  three  soldiers  ran  off  to  a  safe  distance  as  soon  as 
the  tree  began  to  fall,  while  Tumbler,  after  regarding 
their  flight  with  a  look  of  disgust,  walked  deliberately  into 


'THEY  DROVE  HIil   OFF   WITH   STICKS  AJS'D  STONES.' 


HOW  THE  BEAR  DISTINGUISHED  HIMSELF        145 

the  thick  of  the  battle,  and  began  to  cninch  the  dripping 
comb  as  coolly  as  a  pig  eats  corn.  The  brittle  trunk  of 
the  old  tree  had  split  open  as  it  fell,  and  for  twenty  feet 
of  its  length  the  mass  of  yellow  honey  lay  exposed  to  the 
gaze  of  the  men,  while  the  infuriated  bees  darkened  the 
air  above  it,  and  made  a  misty  halo  about  the  head  of  the 
happy  bear. 

The  happiness  of  Tumbler  was  not  altogether  uninter- 
rupted, for  the  soldiers  drove  him  off  now  and  again  with 
sticks  and  stones;  but  however  far  he  retired  from  the 
tree,  he  was  surrounded  and  defended  by  such  an  army  of 
bees  that  it  was  quite  out  of  the  question  to  capture  him. 
There  was  no  end  of  the  honey ;  but  the  worst  of  it  was, 
the  bear  was  eating  the  whitest  and  newest  of  the  combs, 
and  when  at  last  his  greedy  appetite  was  satisfied,  and  he 
came  of  his  own  accord  to  the  house,  he  brought  such 
disagreeable  company  with  him  that  the  soldiers  got  out 
through  the  door  and  windows  as  best  they  could,  leaving 
him  in  undisputed  possession— very  much  as  his  lamented 
mother  had  held  the  fort  on  that  night  when  her  little 
cub.  Tumbler,  had  slept  in  the  ashes  the  year  before. 

There  was  nothing  else  to  be  done  but  to  walk  about  for 
the  rest  of  the  day ;  for  until  nightfall  there  was  a  line  of 
bees  from  the  house  to  the  tree.  The  soldiers  secured  the 
bear  by  closing  the  door  and  windows,  but  it  was  not  yet 
clear  how  they  could  obtain  the  honey.  Coleman  and 
Bromley  were  city-bred,  but  Philip  had  been  brought  up 
in  the  country,  and  he  had  received  some  other  things 
from  his  uncle  besides  kicks  and  cuffs  and  a  knowledge 


146  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

of  how  to  run  a  mill.  He  remembered  the  row  of  hives 
under  the  cherry-trees  beyond  the  race,  and  how  the  new 
swarms  had  come  out,  and  been  sawed  off  with  the  limbs 
in  great  bunches,  or  called  out  of  the  air  by  drumming  on 
tin  pans,  and  how  at  last  they  had  been  enticed  into  a  hive 
sprinkled  inside  with  sweetened  water. 

So,  under  Philip's  directions,  a  section  of  a  hollow  log 
was  prepared,  covered  at  the  top  and  notched  at  the  bot- 
tom, and  pierced  with  cross-sticks  to  support  the  comb. 
As  a  temporary  bench  for  it  to  rest  upon,  they  blocked  up 
against  the  back  wall  of  the  house  the  oak  slab,  which 
they  no  longer  respected  as  a  gravestone. 

After  it  became  quite  dark,  the  bees  had  so  far  settled 
that  a  few  broken  pieces  of  honeycomb,  which  had  been 
tossed  off  into  the  grass  from  the  falling  tree,  were  secured 
to  sweeten  the  new  hive,  and  it  was  finally  propped  up  on 
the  rubber  poncho  in  front  of  the  thickest  bunch  of  bees. 
Tumbler  was  kept  a  close  prisoner  in  the  house,  and  early 
the  next  morning  the  bees  began  crowding  after  their 
queen  into  their  new  house,  and  by  the  afternoon  they 
were  carrying  in  the  honey  and  wax  on  their  legs.  So  it 
was  the  second  night  after  cutting  the  bee-tree  before  the 
soldiers  removed  the  hive,  wrapped  about  with  a  blanket, 
to  the  bench  behind  the  house,  and  got  access  to  the 
honey  in  the  broken  log.  There  was  so  much  of  it  that, 
after  filling  every  dish  they  could  spare,  they  were  forced 
to  empty  the  gold  on  to  the  earthen  floor,  and  fill  the  cask 
with  some  of  the  finest  of  the  combs. 

What  remained  was  given  up  to  the  bear  and  the  bees, 


HOW  THE  BEAR  DISTINGUISHED  HIMSELF        147 

who  got  on  more  pleasantly  together  than  you  can  think ; 
and  in  time  they  cleaned  out  the  old  log  and  scoured  the 
wood  as  if  they  had  been  so  many  housemaids. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  summer  the  gold  lay 
neglected  in  the  corner  together  with  certain  wilted  pota- 
toes and  fat  pine-knots  and  the  sweepings  of  the  floor. 
If  a  shining  coin  turned  up  now  and  then  in  some  unex- 
pected place,  it  doubtless  served  to  remind  Coleman  how 
handy  these  small  tokens  of  exchange  might  be  if  there 
were  any  other  person  in  aU  their  world  of  whom  they 
could  buy  an  iron  pot  or  an  onion ;  or  it  may  have  sug- 
gested to  the  clever  brain  of  Bromley  some  scheme  of 
utilizing  the  pile  as  raw  material.  Worthless  as  the  gold 
was  in  its  present  form,  in  the  hands  of  the  soldiers  so 
fertile  of  resource  and  so  clever  in  devices  to  accompKsh 
their  ends,  it  was  not  possible  for  so  much  good  metal  to 
remain  altogether  useless.  They  soon  saw  that,  if  they 
had  the  appliances  of  a  forge,  they  could  tip  their  wooden 
spades  with  gold,  and  make  many  dishes  and  household 
goods.  So  after  the  harvest  they  set  to  work  in  good 
earnest  to  build  a  smithy,  and  equip  it  in  all  respects  as 
weU  as  their  ingenuity  and  limited  resources  would  per- 
mit. 

The  first  thing  they  did  was  to  dig  a  charcoal  pit,  into 
which  they  piled  several  cords  of  dry  chestnut  wood,  set- 
ting the  sticks  on  end  in  a  conical  heap.  Over  this  they 
placed  a  layer  of  turf  and  a  thick  outer  covering  of  earth, 
leaving  an  opening  at  the  top.  Several  holes  for  air  were 
pierced  about  the  base  of  the  heap,  and  then  some  fat 


148  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

pine-knots  which  had  been  laid  in  about  the  upper  open- 
ing, or  chimney,  were  set  on  fire.  These  burned  briskly 
at  first,  and  then  died  down  to  a  wreath  of  smoke,  which 
was  left  to  sweat  the  wood  for  three  days,  after  which  the 
holes  at  the  base  were  stopped  and  others  made  half-way 
up  the  pile.  Late  in  November  the  dry,  warm  earth  about 
the  charcoal  pit  was  a  favorite  resort  of  Tumbler,  and  he 
tried  several  times  to  dig  into  the  smoldering  mass,  with 
results  more  amusing  to  the  soldiers  and  less  satisfactory 
to  himself  than  those  of  any  digging  he  had  ever  tried 
before. 

When  the  smoke  ceased  to  come  out  of  these  holes  at 
the  sides,  they  were  closed  up  and  others  pierced  lower 
down,  and  so  on  until  the  process  was  complete. 

While  this  slow  combustion  was  going  on,  a  pen  was 
built  about  the  fireplace  of  the  old  hut  and  filled  in  with 
earth  to  a  convenient  height  for  the  forge.  The  flue  was 
narrowed  down  to  a  small  opening  for  the  proper  draft, 
and  a  practical  pumping-bellows,  made  of  two  pointed 
slabs  of  wood  and  the  last  rubber  blanket,  was  hung  in 
place.  Besides  nailing,  the  edges  were  made  air-tight 
with  a  mixture  of  pitch  and  tarry  sediment  from  the 
bottom  of  the  charcoal  pit,  and  the  first  nozzle  of  the 
bellows  was  a  stick  of  elder,  which  was  very  soon  replaced 
by  a  neat  casting  of  gold. 

Bromley  was  the  smith,  and  his  first  pincers  were  rather 
weak  contrivances  of  platted  wire;  but  after  half  the 
barrel  of  one  of  the  carbines  had  with  the  head  of  the 
hatchet  been  hammered  out  on  a  smooth  stone  into  a  steel 


MAKIisG  A  HUXDEED-DOLLAK  CASTEE. 


HOW  THE  BEAR  DISTINGUISHED  HIMSELF        151 

plate  to  cover  their  small  anvil-block,  it  was  possible  to 
make  of  the  iron  that  remained  a  few  serviceable  tools. 

While  they  now  had  good  reason  to  be  sorry  that  the 
gold  was  not  iron,  they  were  thankful  for  their  providen- 
tial supply  of  the  softer  metal,  and  Bromley  toiled  and 
smelted  and  hammered  and  welded  and  riveted,  in  the 
smoke  of  the  forge  and  the  steam  of  the  water-vat,  and 
turned  out  little  golden  conveniences  that  would  have 
made  a  barbaric  king  or  a  modern  millionaire  green  with 
envy.  So  it  came  about  that,  poor  as  they  were,  the  three 
exiled  soldiers,  without  friends  or  country  they  could  call 
their  own,  sat  on  three-legged  stools  shod  with  hundred- 
dollar  casters,  and  drank  spring-water  from  massy  golden 
cups  fit  for  the  dainty  lips  of  a  princess. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

WHICH  GIVES  A  NEARER  VIEW  OF  THE  NEIGHBOR 
CALLED    "SHIFLESS" 

•ITH  the  events  which  closed  the  last  chapter  the 
three  soldiers  had  been  more  than  a  year  on 
the  mountain.  They  had  become  thoroughly 
settled  in  their  delusion,  and  more  contented 
in  their  way  of  hving  than  they  would  have  thought  it 
possible,  in  the  beginning,  ever  to  become. 

The  long  war  had  come  to  an  end  in  a  way  of  its  own, 
and  without  any  regard  for  the  messages  flagged  from 
Upper  Bald.  The  soldiers  of  both  armies  had  been  dis- 
banded, and  the  good  news  had  found  its  way  into  the 
mountain  settlements  at  about  the  time  the  bear  had  dis- 
covered the  bee-tree. 

Far  and  near  the  Union  outliers  had  come  in  from  their 
hiding-places  among  the  rocks,  and  were  gradually  settling 
their  differences  with  their  Confederate  neighbors,  in  which 
delicate  process  there  was  just  enough  shooting  to  prevent 
peace  from  settling  too  abruptly  among  the  mountains. 
In  Cashiers  valley  there  was  scarcely  any  difference  of 

152 


A  NEARER  VIEW  OF  NEIGHBOR  "SHIFLESS"      153 

opinion,  and  the  old  postmaster  in  the  Cove,  who  had  at- 
tended strictly  to  his  duties  and  never  spied  on  his  neigh- 
bors, was  not  molested  under  the  new  order  of  things,  or 
even  deprived  of  his  office. 

On  the  very  evening  when  the  fires  were  first  lighted 
under  the  charcoal  pit,  it  happened  that  two  men  were 
driving  along  a  stony  road  which  led  into  the  valley  over 
a  spur  of  Little  Terrapin.  All  day  the  rain  had  been 
falling  steadily,  and  the  team  showed  unmistakable  signs 
of  weariness,  the  sodden  ears  of  the  mule  flapping  de- 
jectedly outward,  and  the  steer  halting  to  rest  on  every 
sheK  of  the  descent,  as  the  light  wagon  creaked  and 
splashed  down  the  mountain  in  full  view  of  the  wooded 
face  of  old  Whiteside,  now  relieved  boldly  against  a  twi- 
light sky  which  showed  signs  of  clearing.  The  two  men 
sat  crouched  on  the  wet  seat,  with  a  border  of  sodden 
bedquilt  showing  under  their  rubber  coats,  their  wool 
hats  dripping  down  their  shining  backs,  and  the  barrels 
of  their  guns  pointing  to  right  and  left  out  of  the  dry 
embrace  in  which  the  locks  rested.  As  they  mounted  the 
next  ridge,  the  major  was  getting  a  little  comfort  out  of 
a  spluttering  pipe,  and  Sandy  was  looking  hopefully  be- 
tween the  horns  of  the  steer  at  the  patch  of  clearing  sky. 

"  There  's  some  humans  a-outlyin'  on  old  Whiteside  to- 
night," said  Sandy.    "  I  lowed  them  critters  had  all  come  in." 

''What  yer  talkin'  'bout?"  growled  the  major. 

"  I  'm  a-sayin',"  said  the  other,  "  that  there  's  somebody 
campin'  on  the  mountain.  It  'pears  to  be  gone  now,  but 
I  certainly  seen  a  hght  up  thar." 


154  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

The  major  only  grunted  as  if  the  matter  were  of  no 
consequence,  and  then  both  relapse  into  silence  as  the 
creaking  wheels  jolt  over  the  rocks  and  grind  down  the 
mountain  behind  the  bracing  cattle.  The  form  of  the 
steer  grows  whiter  in  the  gathering  darkness.  The  men 
are  evidently  familiar  with  the  country,  for  presently  they 
turn  off  the  big  road  into  a  cart-track,  the  sides  of  the 
wagon  brushing  against  the  dripping  bushes  as  they  push 
through  the  darkness  with  the  fewest  possible  words. 
Now  and  then  they  see  a  light  in  the  settlement,  glimmer- 
ing damply  through  the  trees,  and  dancing  and  disap- 
pearing before  them,  as  the  wagon  lurches  and  rolls  upon 
the  weary  animals  struggling  for  a  foothold  on  the 
shelving  rocks.  At  last  they  trot  out  on  a  sandy  level 
and  pass  a  log  barn,  where  a  group  of  men  are  playing 
cards  by  a  fire.  A  little  farther  on  a  low  hne  of  lights 
becomes  a  row  of  windows  casting  a  ruddy  glow  under 
the  dripping  trees,  and  shining  out  upon  the  very  wood- 
pile where,  according  to  Philip,  the  man  he  had  named 
"  Shif  less  "  was  wont  to  sit  and  watch  the  milking. 

"  Hello,  inside ! "  cried  the  major,  hailing  the  house. 
"  Is  Elder  Long  to  home  ? " 

''  Well,  he  ain't  fur  off,"  replied  a  tall  woman  in  a  caHco 
sunbonnet  and  a  homespun  gown,  who  came  out  on  the 
side  porch,  shading  her  eyes  with  her  hand.  "  Jest  light 
out  o'  yer  hack  an'  come  in  to  the  fire,  an'  I  '11  carry  the 
critters  round  to  the  stable." 

Sandy  and  the  major  clambered  out  of  the  wagon  upon 
the  chip  dirt,  with  a  polite  inquiry  after  the  news,  to  which 


A  NEAEER  VIEW  OF  NEIGHBOR  "SHITLESS"      155 

the  woman,  as  she  seated  herself  on  the  bedquilt  and 
gathered  up  the  reins,  replied  that  "the  best  news  she 
knowed  of  was  that  the  war  was  done  ended." 

The  travelers  walked  stiffly  into  the  house,  carrying 
theu-  guns,  besides  which  the  major  held  a  cow-skin  knap- 
sack by  the  straps,  which  he  dropped  on  the  floor  inside 
the  door.  Both  men  said  *'  Howdy  "  as  they  stalked  over 
to  the  fireplace,  peering  from  under  their  hats  at  the 
shadowy  forms  of  a  number  of  women  sitting  in  the  un- 
certain light,  who  answered  ''Howdy"  in  return;  and 
then,  while  the  men  took  off  their  rubber  coats,  one 
woman,  bolder  than  the  others,  stirred  the  fire  and  thmst 
a  pine-knot  behind  the  backlog. 

Presently  the  ruddy  flames  leaped  up  in  the  stone 
chimney  and  picked  out  the  brass  buttons  on  two  butter- 
nut-and-gray  uniforms,  and  revealed  the  faces  of  the 
women,  evidently  not  over-pleased  at  what  they  saw. 
There  was  an  awkward  silence  in  the  room  for  a  moment, 
and  then  a  tall  man  entered,  followed  by  two  others,  and 
then  a  party  of  three.  Each  man  carried  his  gun,  and 
each  said  "  Howdj'-,"  to  which  the  strangers  responded ;  but 
the  conversation  showed  no  signs  of  being  general  until 
the  elder  came  in,  unarmed,  as  became  his  peaceful  calling. 

His  gun  and  powder-horn,  however,  were  handy  in  a 
rack  over  the  door,  and  as  soon  as  his  benevolent  face 
appeared  in  the  firelight  the  man  Sandy  advanced  from 
the  corner  behind  the  chimney  and  held  out  his  hand. 

"  Ye  may  have  disremembered  me,  elder,  in  three  years' 
time,"  said  Sandy,  rather  sheepishly. 


156  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

"I  hain't  forgot  ye,"  said  the  elder,  gravely,  stepping 
back  a  pace  and  crossing  his  hands  behind  his  back.  "  I 
hain't  forgot  ye.  Been  in  the  Confederate  army,  I  reckon," 
—at  which  remark  there  was  a  rustle  among  the  elder's 
friends  and  a  murmur  from  the  women. 

"  Jes  so,"  said  Sandy,  not  at  all  disturbed  by  his  cold 
reception;  ''an'  likewise  my  friend  the  major— Major 
McKinney." 

"  Sir  to  you,"  said  the  major,  with  a  wave  of  his  hand. 

"We  're  a-studyin',"  said  Sandy,  '"bout  campin'  down 
in  this  yer  valley—" 

"  We  're  all  o'  one  mind  here,  Sandy  Marsh,"  exclaimed 
Mrs.  Long,  who  had  come  in  from  the  stable.  "We  're 
Union  to  a  man." 

"  That  's  what  we  be  in  Cashiers,"  snapped  one  of  the 
neighbors,  who  was  fondling  his  gun ;  and  then  there  fol- 
lowed a  little  movement  of  boots  and  rifle-stocks  on  the 
floor,  which  caused  the  major  to  get  upon  his  feet  with  the 
intention  of  making  an  explanation.  There  was  a  hostile 
flash  in  his  eye,  however,  which  Elder  Long  observed,  and 
stretching  out  his  long  arm,  he  pointed  to  the  major's  chair. 

"  Now  set  down,  comrade,  do,"  said  the  elder,  and  then, 
to  the  others:  "These  two  men  are  my  guests  to-night. 
They  '11  have  the  best  that  the  house  affords,  an'  ye  'd  bet- 
ter be  layin'  the  supper-table,  mother.  We  '11  feed  them  an' 
their  critters,  an'  welcome,  an'  when  day  comes  they  '11 
move  on.  Like  mother  put  hit,  we  're  of  one  way  of  think- 
in'  in  Cashiers.  No  offense,  gentlemen,  but  hit 's  plumb 
certain  we  should  n't  agree." 


A  NEARER  VIEW  OF  NEIGHBOR  "SHIFLESS"      157 

Under  the  advice  of  the  elder,  the  men  stacked  their 
weapons  together,  the  long  rifles  with  the  army  guns ;  and 
after  supper  was  over  the  whole  party  returned  to  the  fire 
in  an  amiable  and  talkative  mood,  but  with  a  perfect  un- 
derstanding that  the  two  Confederates  would  move  on  in 
the  morning. 

This  point  having  been  settled,  the  travelers  were  lis- 
tened to  with  the  interest  the  stranger  always  receives  in 
remote  settlements  where  new  faces  and  new  ideas  seldom 
come ;  and  the  men  of  the  valley,  who  had  been  sullen  and 
suspicious  before  they  had  broken  bread,  now  laughed  at 
the  di'oll  adventures  of  the  major  and  vied  with  him  in 
story-teUing  on  their  own  account. 

The  women  had  mostly  been  silent  listeners  up  to  the 
time  when  Sandy  mentioned  the  light  he  had  seen  on  the 
crest  of  Whiteside  Mountain,  as  they  came  over  Little 
Terrapin.  The  major  hastened  to  express  a  doubt  of  his 
companion  having  seen  anything  of  the  kind,  which  the 
other  as  stoutly  contended  he  had  seen  with  his  eyes  open, 
and  that  the  light  was  not  hghtning  or  a  stray  star  among 
the  trees,  but  real  fire. 

"  Ye  need  n't  waste  time  study  in'  'bout  that  light,  Sandy 
Marsh,"  said  Mrs.  Long,  throwing  the  last  stick  on  the 
fire,  which  was  only  a  heap  of  glowing  embers.  "  'T  ain't 
worth  the  candle,  since  everybody  in  Cashiers  knows  that 
mountain  is  harnted." 

''And  has  been  ever  since  the  little  old  man  died  up 
thar  all  by  hisself ,"  chimed  in  little  Miss  Bennett. 

"  I  ain't  a  great  believer  in  harnts,"  said  the  elder,  "but 


158  THE  LAST   THEEE   SOLDIERS 

if  you  viewed  anything  like  fii'e  up  tliar,  hit  certainly  wa  'n't 
built  by  human  hands,  for  there  ain't  no  possible  way  for 
a  human  to  git  there." 

"There  's  the  bridge  Josiah  Woodring  built,"  Sandy 
ventured  to  say.  "  I  crossed  over  to  hit  myself  once  afore 
the  war-time." 

"  Hit  feU  into  the  gorge  of  its  own  weight  an'  rotten- 
ness, more  'n  a  year  back,"  said  the  elder,  "  an'  hit 's  cer- 
tain that  no  man  has  set  foot  on  the  top  of  Whiteside 
since." 

The  fresh  stick,  which  was  only  a  branch,  burned  up 
and  threw  a  flickering  light  on  the  grave  faces  about  the 
shadowy  room,  in  the  midst  of  a  general  silence  which 
was  broken  by  the  harsh  voice  of  the  mistress  of  the 
house. 

''  Hit 's  obleeged  to  be  the  harnts,  an'  comes  'long  o'  the 
bones  o'  the  little  old  man  not  havin'  had  Christian  burial 
up  yonder." 

''  You  see,"  said  the  elder, ''  his  takin'  off  wa'  n't  regular, 
bein'  altogether  unbeknownst,  otherwise  I  'd  'a'  seen  he 
had  gospel  service  said  over  him  that  would  'a'  left  him 
layin'  easy  in  his  grave." 

''  Which  hit  stands  to  reason  he  can't  do  now,"  put  in 
Mrs.  Long,  "  under  that  heathen  inscription  they  do  say 
is  writ  on  his  headstone.  If  he  really  wanted  to  be  forgot, 
he  'd  better  left  word  with  Jo-siah  to  bury  him  without 
so  much  as  markin'  the  place ;  an'  everybody  knows  that 
unmarked  graves  holds  uneasy  spirits." 

"  Accordin'  to  that  doctrine.  Mis'  Long,"  said  the  major, 


A  NEARER  VIEW  OF  NEIGHBOR  "SHIFLESS"      159 

"  whole  regiments  of  harnts  'u'd  be  marchin'  an'  counter- 
marchin'  over  some  battle-fields  I  know." 

"  'T  ain't  them  that  has  plenty  o'  company  that  gits  lonely 
an'  uneasy,"  replied  the  woman,  very  promptly,  "but  such 
as  lays  by  themselves  on  the  tops  of  the  mountains  or 
anywheres  in  the  unknown  kentry." 

"  Old  Whiteside  hain't  never  brought  luck  to  anybody 
that  owned  hit,"  said  a  piping  voice  from  a  niche  behind 
the  fireplace,  where  Granny  White  sat  in  her  accustomed 
rocker.  The  old  woman  was  the  mother  of  the  mistress 
of  the  house,  and  an  authority  far  and  near  on  all  things 
supernatural.  Her  white  frilled  cap  was  just  visible  be- 
hind the  stones  of  the  jamb,  and  even  the  strangers  listened 
with  respect  to  what  she  had  to  say,  in  the  ghostly  silence 
and  in  the  half-light  of  the  dying  embers. 

"I  've  lived  in  the  shadder  of  hit  for  eighty  year,  an' 
ther'  -ain't  many  that 's  been  atop  o'  old  Whiteside.  Arter 
Josiah  built  the  bridge,  the  Hooper  horned  critters  lay 
across  the  gorge  one  summer,  an'  two  o'  the  best  cows 
lost  their  calves.  That  must  'a'  been  in  '50.  Hay,  Larkin, 
son— '50,  wa' n't  hit?" 

"  That 's  true.  Aunt  Lucy,"  said  the  elder ;  ''  an'  a  great 
mystery  hit  was  at  the  time.  Some  suspicioned  that  the 
little  old  man  might  'a'  killed  'em  for  meat,  but  such  of  us 
as  went  up  found  his  cabin  empty,  an'  we  could  no  more 
find  him  than  if  he  had  been  a  harnt  hisself." 

This  statement  was  received  in  silence,  which  was  pres- 
ently broken  by  the  garrulous  voice  of  the  old  woman. 

"  Woe !  woe !  unto  them  that  ventures  onto  the  danger- 

9* 


160  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

ous  mountains.  The  last  man  knowed  to  have  set  foot  on 
Whiteside  was  Hiram  Kitchen,  an'  let  me  tell  ye  the  harnts 
had  a  hand  in  burnin'  Hiram  Kitchen's  cabin  on  Christmas 
day  an'  totin'  him  off  along  with  his  prisoners.  Hit  was 
a  plain  judgment  ag'in'  disbelief.  Hay,  Larkin,  son? 
You  're  I'arned   in   Scripture." 

The  elder  only  gazed  at  the  feathery  embers. 

"Wherever  the  old  man  o'  the  mountain  is  a-layin'," 
continued  granny,  "he  ain't  restin'  easy,  an'  ther'  might 
be  a  reason  for  hit,  too.  He  had  plenty  o'  silver— plenty  o' 
silver."  Her  voice  sank  to  a  husky  whisper.  "  An'  hit 's 
a  monstrous  lonely  place  up  yonder— somebody  might  'a' 
murdered  him.  Hay,  Larkin,  son  ?  Somebody  might  'a' 
done  that." 

The  old  woman's  words  had  a  powerful  effect  on  the 
simple  crowd  assembled  in  the  shadowy  room.  They  were 
prone  to  superstitious  beliefs;  and  if  the  two  strangers, 
who  had  seen  more  of  the  world  and  had  fought  in  real 
battles,  were  less  impressed  than  the  others,  they  kept  a 
discreet  silence,  in  which  the  elder  rose  to  his  feet  and 
uttered  the  evening  prayer,  not  forgetting  to  ask  that  they 
might  be  guarded  from  unseen  enemies  and  from  invisible 
dangers. 

In  the  morning,  after  the  two  Confederates  had  driven 
away  with  their  mule-and-ox  team  in  search  of  a  more 
congenial  neighborhood,  the  elder  seated  himself  on  the 
woodpile  to  smoke  his  morning  pipe  and  watch  the 
milking. 

"Mother,"  said  he,  after  a  while,  when  his  wife  came 


A  NEARER  VIEW  OF  NEIGHBOR  "SHIFLESS"       161 

forward  between  the  well-filled  pails,  "  I  don't  believe  in 
harnts  burnin'  houses,  but  thar  must  'a'  been  some  spirit 
information  pre-ju-dicial  to  Hiram  Kitchen  that  I  never 
could  git  through  my  head.  The  last  thing  I  did  afore  I 
rode  off  to  preach  Granny  Taylor's  funeral  sermon  was  to 
go  up  on  the  hiU  yonder  an'  satisfy  myself  that  every- 
thing was  quiet  around  Hiram's.  I  never  let  on  to  the 
postmaster  that  there  was  any  Yankee  prisoners  around, 
an'  if  he  knew  of  hit,  he  kept  hit  to  hisself.  Hit  cer- 
tainly looks,  mother,  as  if  the  spirits  had  a  hand  in  hit, 
an'  a  bad  business  hit  was." 

"  That 's  hit,  Larkin,  son,"  said  Aunt  Lucy,  who  leaned 
on  her  staff  by  the  fence  among  the  great  purple  cabbage- 
heads.  "  When  there  's  mischief  goin'  on  ye  can  depend 
on  hit  the  harnts  has  a  hand  in  hit.  An'  hit 's  a  fair  moun- 
tain, too,"  she  continued,  shading  her  eyes  with  her  hand 
and  gazing  up  at  the  wooded  mass  of  Whiteside,  behind 
which  the  sun  was  rising.  "  Hit 's  fair  to  view,  an'  inno- 
cent-appearin',  but  there  's  few  has  set  foot  on  the  top  o' 
hit." 

The  mountain,  which  harbored  no  spirits  other  than  the 
guileless  souls  of  the  three  deluded  soldiers,  was  indeed 
fail'  to  look  upon,  towering  above  its  feUows  and  above 
the  sweet  valley  of  Cashiers.  A  curtain  of  purple  haze 
softened  the  rich  greens  of  the  forest  which  clothed  the 
mountain  on  the  valley  side,  and  now,  after  the  rain, 
white  clouds  of  vapor  were  beginning  to  puff  out  as  if 
huge  concealed  boilers  were  generating  steam  behind  the 
trees. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE   GOLDEN   MILL 

|HREE  years  have  come  and  gone  since  the  forge 
was  built,  and  the  three  misguided  patriots, 
still  loyal  to  their  vow  and  to  the  thirty-three 
stars  on  their  dear  old  flag,  are  sitting  together 
in  the  fair  sunlight  of  a  Sabbath  morning  on  the  steps  of 
the  golden  mill.  Tumbler  the  bear,  very  shaggy  and 
faded  as  to  his  mangy  coat,  is  sleeping  comfortably  on  the 
dusty  path  that  winds  away  to  the  house.  Coleman's 
tawny  and  curly  beard  and  the  black  hau-  on  Bromley's 
face  have  grown  long  and  thick,  and  the  down  which  be- 
f oretime  was  on  Philip's  lip  and  chin  now  flares  out  from 
his  neck  and  jaws  like  a  weak  red  flame.  Philip  sits  a 
little  apart  from  the  others,  with  the  telescope  in  its  lea- 
thern case  strapped  on  his  back,  and  there  is  a  look  of 
sadness  in  his  face  and  in  his  wandering,  downcast  eyes. 

Three  years  have  wi'ought  gi-eat  changes  in  the  plateau. 
The  harvests  have  been  abundant,  and  at  a  little  distance 
from  where  the  men  sit  purple  grapes  hang  in  great  clus- 
ters from  the  vines  which  have  been  grown  from  cuttings 

162 


THE  GOLDEN  MILL  163 

of  that  solitary  plant  which  overhung  the  branch  on  the 
July  day  when  they  fii'st  came  down  its  bank  with  the 
captain  of  the  troopers  and  Andy  the  guide. 

The  building  of  the  mill  has  been  a  work  of  time,  and 
it  is  not  yet  a  month  since  Bromley  emptied  the  first  yellow 
grist  into  the  flaring  hopper.  Two  long  years  were  spent 
in  shaping  the  upper  and  the  nether  stones,  and  the  new 
mill  was  rightly  called  ''  golden,"  for  five  thousand  guineas 
from  the  mints  of  George  the  Fourth  and  good  Queen 
Vic.  were  melted  in  the  forge  and  beaten  into  straps  and 
bolts  and  rings  and  bands  for  the  wooden  machinery. 
Gold  ghstens  in  the  joints  of  the  di'ipping- wheel,  and 
gleams  in  the  darkness  at  the  bottom  of  the  hopper,  where 
the  half  of  a  priceless  cavalry  boot-leg  distributes  the  corn 
between  the  grinding-stones.  The  hopper  itself  is  rimmed 
with  gold,  and  the  circular  wooden  box,  rough  hewn,  that 
covers  the  stones  is  bolted  and  belted  with  the  metal  else- 
where called  precious;  and  from  the  half -roof  of  oak 
shingles  to  the  slab  floor,  gold  without  stint  enriches  and 
solidifies  the  structure.  It  plates  the  handle  and  caps  the 
top  of  the  pole  that  shifts  the  water  on  to  the  wheel,  and 
the  half-door  which  shuts  out  Tumbler  the  bear  swings  on 
golden  hinges  and  shuts  with  a  golden  hasp. 

Healthy  living  and  abundance  of  food  have  rounded  the 
lusty  brown  limbs  of  the  three  soldiers  and  charged  their 
veins  with  good  red  blood ;  but  alas  !  in  the  midst  of  the 
abundance  of  nature  and  the  opulence  of  the  golden  mill, 
by  reason  of  their  tattered  and  scant  covering  they  are 
pitiful  objects  to  look  upon  as  they  sit  together  in  the 


164  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

sunlight.  The  smart  uniforms  with  yellow  facings  are 
gone,  and  the  long  cavalry  boots,  and  the  jaunty  caps  with 
cross-sabers  above  the  flat  vizors ;  and  so  little  remains  of 
their  former  clothing  that  they  might  almost  blush  in  the 
presence  of  the  bear. 

Lieutenant  Coleman  has  some  rags  of  blue  flannel  hang- 
ing about  his  broad  shoulders,  which  flutter  in  the  soft 
wind  where  they  are  not  gathered  under  the  waistband 
of  a  pair  of  new  and  badly  made  canvas  trousers  having 
the  letters  ''  U.  S."  half  lost  in  the  clumsy  seam  of  the 
right  leg  and  a  great  "A"  on  the  back,  which  sufficiently 
indicates  that  they  have  been  made  from  the  stiff  cloth  of 
the  tent  called  "  A,"  and  that,  if  required,  they  could  easily 
stand  alone.  Such  as  they  are,  these  trousers,  on  account 
of  their  newness  and  great  durability,  seem  to  be  the  pride 
of  the  colony.  They  are  certainly  much  smarter  than 
Philip's,  which  are  open  with  rents  and  patched  with  rags 
of  various  shades  of  blue,  and  tied  about  his  legs  with 
strings,  and  finally  hung  from  his  bare,  tanned  shoulders, 
under  the  telescope,  by  a  single  strip  of  canvas. 

All  three  of  the  men  have  hard,  bare  feet,  and  the  tunic 
or  gown  of  faded  blue  cloth  which  hangs  from  Bromley's 
neck  shows  by  its  age  that  the  overcoat-capes  which  were 
sacrificed  to  make  it  were  sacrificed  long  ago.  This  what- 
you-may-call-it  is  girded  in  at  the  waist  by  a  coil  of  young 
grape-vine  covered  with  tender  green  leaves,  and  fringed 
at  bottom  with  mingled  tatters  of  blue  cloth  and  old  yeUow 
lining.  And  this  completes  the  costume  of  the  dignified 
corporal  who  enlisted  from  Harvard  in  his  junior  year. 


THE   GOLDEN   MILL. 


THE  GOLDEN  MILL  167 

except  some  ends  of  trousers  which  hang  about  his  knees 
like  embroidered  pantalets. 

With  aU  their  poverty  of  apparel,  the  persons  of  the 
three  soldiers,  and  their  clothing  as  far  as  practicable,  are 
sweet  and  clean,  which  shows  that  at  least  two  of  them 
have  lost  none  of  that  pride  which  prompted  them  to  stay- 
on  the  mountain,  and  which  still  keeps  up  their  courage 
in  the  autumn  of  the  good  year  '69.  And  now  let  us  see 
what  it  is  that  ails  Philip. 

Many  entries  in  the  diary  for  the  fifth  summer  on  the 
mountain,  which  is  jjust  over,  indicate  that  the  conduct  of 
Philip  was  shrouded  in  an  atmosphere  of  mysterj^  which 
his  companions  vainly  tried  to  penetrate.  So  early  as 
March  12,  1869,  we  find  it  recorded : 

"  Philip  spends  all  his  unemployed  time  in  observations 
with  the  telescope." 

In  the  following  April  and  May,  entries  touching  on 
this  subject  are  most  frequent,  and  Lieutenant  Coleman 
and  George  Bromley  have  many  conversations  about 
Welton's  peculiar  conduct,  and  record  many  evidences  of 
a  state  of  mind  which  causes  them  much  annoyance  and 
some  amusement. 

"  May  12.  Requested  Philip  to  remove  one  of  the  bee 
gums  to  the  new  bench.  Instead  of  complying  with  my 
request,  he  plugged  the  holes  with  grass,  removed  the 
stone  and  board  from  the  top,  and  emptied  a  wooden  bowl 
of  lye  into  the  hive,  destroying  both  swarm  and  honey. 


168  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

After  this  act  of  vandalism  he  entered  the  house,  took 
doT\Ti  the  telescope,  and,  slinging  it  over  his  shoulder, 
walked  away  in  the  direction  of  the  point  of  rocks,  whis- 
tling a  merry  tune  as  he  went." 

At  another  time  he  was  asked  to  set  the  Slow-John  in 
motion  to  crack  a  mess  of  hominy,  and  instead  of  spread- 
ing the  corn  on  the  rock  he  covered  that  receptacle  with 
a  layer  of  eggs,  and  hung  the  bucket  on  the  long  arm  of 
the  lever. 

Such  evidences  of  a  profound  absence  of  mind  were 
constantly  occurring ;  and  if  they  were  not  indications  of 
his  desh'e  to  return  to  the  world,  his  secret  observations 
with  the  telescope  made  it  plain  enough  that  he  was  ab- 
sorbed in  events  outside  the  borders  of  Sherman  Territory. 
If  questioned,  he  assigned  all  sorts  of  imaginary  reasons 
for  his  conduct,  and  at  the  same  time  he  held  himself 
more  and  more  aloof  from  his  companions,  to  wander 
about  the  plateau  alone. 

During  the  previous  winter,  Philip  had  reported  that 
one  of  the  four  young  girls  removed  by  the  Confederates 
at  the  time  of  the  capture  of  the  officers  had  reappeared  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  burned  house.  This  fact  was  soon  for- 
gotten by  Coleman  and  Bromley,  who  were  working  like 
beavers,  pecking  the  stones  for  the  mill ;  but  to  PliUip  it 
was  an  event  of  absorbing  interest.  Where  were  the 
others?  What  sufferings  and  what  indignities  had  the 
returned  wanderer  endured  in  her  long  absence,  and  what 
hardships  and  dangers  had  not  she  braved  to  reach  her 


THE  GOLDEN  MILL  169 

native  valley  again?  Gentle  as  Philip's  nature  was,  he 
possessed  in  a  marked  degree  the  power  to  love  and  the 
hunger  to  be  loved  in  return.  Occasionally  a  man  in  a 
dungeon  or  on  a  desert  island,  or  in  the  shadow  of  a  scaf- 
fold, has  devoted  himself  to  a  one-sided  passion  in  circum- 
stances as  baffling  as  those  that  hedged  in  Philip. 

The  sight  of  this  lonely  girl  wandering  back  to  the 
blackened  ruin  in  the  deserted  clearing  furnished  the 
dolorous  lady  his  knightly  fancy  craved.  A  speck  in  the 
distance,  he  drew  her  to  his  arms  in  the  magic  lens,  and 
consoled  her  with  such  words  of  sympathy  and  endear- 
ment as  his  fancy  prompted.  In  short,  he  had  the  old 
disease  that  makes  a  princess  out  of  a  poor  girl  in  cow- 
skin  shoes  and  a  homespun  frock,  and  had  it  all  the  worse 
that  she  kept  her  distance,  as  this  one  did.  In  the  long 
days  when  storms  interrupted  his  observations,  or  fog 
hung  over  the  valley,  he  wi"ote  tender  letters  to  his  prin- 
cess on  prepared  leaves  of  his  prayer-book,  in  which  the 
grave  responses  of  the  Litany  ran  in  faint  lines,  like  a 
water-mark,  under  the  burning  words  on  the  paper. 

He  watched  Jones  and  the  kindly  neighbors  (not  in- 
cluding Shifless)  clearing  away  the  wreckage  and  rebuild- 
ing the  Smith  house  between  the  sturdy  stone  chimneys. 
The  new  cabin  was  divided  by  an  open  covered  passage, 
through  which  Philip  could  look  with  the  glass  to  the 
sunlit  field  beyond,  and  watch  the  Princess  Smith  entering 
either  of  the  doors  opposite  to  each  other  in  the  sides  of 
the  passage. 

This  love  of  Philip's  had  sprung  into  being  fuU  fledged, 


170  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

without  any  stage  of  infant  growth  like  an  ordinary  pas- 
sion. Besides  its  unsuspecting  object,  it  was  ample  enough 
to  take  under  its  wings  her  wandering  kinsfolk,  dead  or 
alive,  and  included  the  cow  with  the  soundless  bell  which 
came  to  be  milked  in  the  evening  by  the  hands  of  the 
princess  herself,  and  then  to  crop  the  grass  and  lie  in  the 
dust  of  the  road  until  morning. 

From  the  time  when  she  waved  him  a  banner  of  smoke 
at  sunrise  until  the  firelight  reddened  on  the  cabin  win- 
dow, PhUip  came  to  linger  almost  constantly  on  the  rocks, 
to  the  neglect  of  his  share  in  the  labors  of  the  little  com- 
munity. When  planting-time  came,  and  hands  were  in 
demand  to  spade  up  the  soil,  his  companions  for  the  fli'st 
time  secui-ed  and  hid  away  the  telescope.  For  a  day— for 
two  days— Philip  was  uneasy,  going  and  coming  by  him- 
self, doing  no  work,  speaking  to  no  one,  scarcely  partak- 
ing of  food.  At  last  the  suspense  and  disappointment 
became  unendurable,  and  going  to  Lieutenant  Coleman, 
resting  from  his  work  in  the  shade  of  a  spreading  chest- 
nut, he  threw  himself  at  his  feet  and  begged  for  the  return 
of  the  telescope,  revealing  for  the  first  time  the  nature  of 
his  infatuation.  His  lips  once  opened,  poor  Philip  ran  on 
in  a  rhapsody  so  fantastic  and  incoherent  that  the  diseased 
state  of  his  mind  was  at  the  same  time  made  apparent. 

In  the  diary  for  July  6,  Lieutenant  Coleman  writes : 

''  An  unspeakable  calamity  has  fallen  on  the  dwellers  in 
Sherman  Territory.  Reason  has  been  blotted  out  in  the 
mind  of  our  companion  Philip,  and  now  we  are  but  two 
in  the  company  of  an  amiable  madman." 


THE  GOLDEN  MILL  171 

In  view  of  Philip's  malady  Lieutenant  Coleman  felt  it 
wise  to  humor  him  with  the  telescope,  and  to  try  the 
effect  of  more  active  sympathy  by  joining  him  in  his  ob- 
servations. 

After  an  eager  examination  of  the  clearing  in  the  valley, 
"Gone!  Gone!"  he  cried  in  a  voice  of  despair.  "You 
have  driven  away  my  princess !  You  hate  her— you  and 
the  other  one  !  You  hate  me  !  I  'm  not  wise  enough  for 
your  company— you  and  the  other  one.  Give  me  back 
my  princess— give  me  back—" 

Taking  the  glass  from  his  trembhng  hand,  Coleman 
leveled  it  on  the  house  in  the  clearing ;  and,  happily,  there 
stood  the  woman,  midway  of  the  passage,  and  on  the  point 
of  advancing  into  the  light. 

"  Take  her  back,  dear  PhiHp,"  he  said,  returning  him 
the  telescope.  "We  will  never  steal  her  again— I  and  the 
other  one.     See,  there  she  is  !  " 

With  a  quick  movement  Philip  looked,  and  without  a 
spoken  word  he  f  eU  a-laughing  and  crooning  in  his  delight, 
in  a  way  so  unnatural  and  so  uncanny  that  it  was  sadder 
to  see  than  his  excitement. 

The  only  chance  of  reclaiming  Philip  seemed  to  he  in 
the  direction  of  feigning  sympathy  with  and  interest  in 
his  delusion,  trusting  to  time,  in  the  absence  of  opposition, 
to  bring  him  back  to  reason. 

Never  after  this  exhibition  of  petulance  on  the  rocks 
with  Lieutenant  Coleman  did  he  show  the  slightest  ten- 
dency to  violence.  When  he  came  in  on  that  particular 
evening,  the  lieutenant  took  his  hand,  and  in  a  few  friendly 
words  told  him  how  glad  he  was  that  aU  was  weU  and  that 


172  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

the  lost  was  found,  and  ordered  the  flag  run  up  in  honor 
of  the  occasion. 

Philip  looked  in  a  dazed  way  at  the  flag,  showing  that 
that  emblem  had  lost  its  old  power  to  stir  him  with  en- 
thusiasm. All  that  summer,  when  his  expert  advice  was 
sorely  needed,  poor  infatuated  Philip  took  no  more  interest 
in  the  construction  of  the  golden  mill  than  he  took  in  the 
spots  on  the  moon.  He  was  as  ignorant  of  the  affairs  of 
Sherman  Territory  as  the  Princess  Smith,  that  plain,  ig- 
norant working-girl  in  the  valley,  was  of  his  existence. 

So  week  after  week,  and  month  after  month,  through 
the  long  summer  and  into  the  sad  autumn  days,  liis  com- 
panions kept  a  melancholy  watch  on  Philip,  who  wandered 
to  and  fro  on  the  mountain,  with  the  telescope  in  its 
leathern  case  strapped  over  his  bare  shoulders,  as  we  saw 
him  first  in  the  shadow  of  the  golden  mill. 

Scantily  as  the  three  soldiers  were  clad  at  that  time, 
they  still  had  their  long  blue  overcoats  to  protect  them 
from  the  cold  of  winter,  and  broken  shoes  to  cover  theii* 
feet;  and  so  in  the  short  December  days  poor  Philip, 
grown  nervous  and  haggard  with  want  of  sleep,  strapped 
the  telescope  outside  his  coat,  and  wandered  about  the 
point  of  rocks. 

The  morning  of  January  10,  as  it  dawned  on  the  three 
forgotten  soldiers, — if  it  may  be  said  to  have  dawned  at 
all,— cast  a  singular  light  on  the  mountain-top.  It  had 
come  on  to  thaw,  and  the  time  of  the  winter  avalanches 
was  at  hand.     The  sky  overhead  was  of  a  colorless  density 


THE  GOLDEN  MILL  173 

which  was  no  longer  a  dome ;  and  it  seemed  to  Philip,  as 
he  stood  on  the  rocks,  as  if  he  could  stretch  out  his  hand 
and  touch  it.  Somewhere  in  its  depth  the  sun  was  blotted 
out.  Ragged  clouds  settled  below  the  mountain-top,  and 
then,  borne  on  an  imperceptible  wind,  a  sea  of  fog  swal- 
lowed up  the  clouds  and  blotted  out  the  valley  and  the 
ranges  beyond,  even  as  it  had  blotted  out  the  sun,  leaving 
Sherman  Territory  an  island  drifting  through  space. 

Philip  closed  the  telescope  with  a  moan,  and  replaced  it 
in  its  leathern  case.  Even  the  trees  on  the  island,  and  the 
rocks  heaped  in  ledges,  grew  gray  and  indistinct,  and 
presently  the  thick  mist  resolved  itself  into  a  vertical  rain 
falling  gently  on  the  melting  snow.  The  strokes  of  an  ax 
in  the  direction  of  the  house  had  a  muffled  sound,  Kke  an 
automatic  buoy  far  out  at  sea.  PhUip  tui'ned  with  another 
sigh,  and  took  the  familiar  path  in  the  direction  of  the  ax, 
groping  his  way  in  the  mist  as  a  mountaineer  feels  the 
traU  in  the  night  with  his  feet. 

The  sound  of  the  chopping  ceases,  and  a  great  stUlness 
broods  on  the  mountain.  Evidently  the  chopper  has 
sought  shelter  from  the  rain.  Brown  leaves  begin  to 
show  where  the  snow  has  disappeared  on  the  path,  so 
familiar  to  the  feet  of  the  wanderer  that  no  sound  should 
be  needed  to  toll  him  home.  But  to-day,  while  his  feet 
are  on  the  mountain-top,  his  aching  heart  is  in  the  valley. 
She  has  gone  forever  from  the  arms  of  the  lover  she  never 
saw.  He  sees  before  him  the  wedding  of  yesterday,  and 
in  his  gentleness  he  is  incapable  of  hating  even  his  suc- 
cessful rival.    He  is  capable  only  of  grief.     Bitter  tears 


174  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

fall  on  his  breast  and  on  his  clasped  hands.  A  great 
aching  is  in  his  throat,  and  a  dimness  in  his  suffused  eyes. 
He  throws  his  arms  out  and  presses  his  temples  with  his 
clenched  hands,  and  mutters  with  a  choking  sound,  as  he 
walks.  He  does  not  know  that  the  rain  is  falling  on  his 
upturned  face.  He  turns  to  go  back.  He  changes  his 
mind  and  advances.  He  is  no  longer  in  the  path.  He 
has  no  thought  of  where  he  goes.  The  blades  of  dead 
grass,  and  the  dry  seeds  and  fragments  of  leaves,  cling 
thick  upon  the  sodden  surface  of  his  tattered  boots.  He 
strides  on  absently  over  the  ground,  parting  the  fog  and 
cooling  his  feverish  face  in  the  rain ;  and  every  step  leads 
him  nearer  to  the  boulder  face  of  the  mountain  where  the 
great  avalanches  are  getting  ready  to  fall  a  thousand  feet 
into  the  Cove  below. 

The  events  of  yesterday  go  before  him.  He  sees  the 
procession  come  out  of  the  church  house,  the  women  in 
one  group  and  the  men  following  in  another,  and  he  and 
she  going  hand  in  hand  in  the  advance.  He  feels  the 
sunshine  of  yesterday  on  his  head  and  the  misery  in  his 
heart. 

Then  it  is  night,  and  he  sees  the  lights  of  the  frolic  at 
the  cabin  in  the  clearing.  He  is  no  longer  the  cheerful, 
happy  Philip  of  other  years,  but  a  weakened,  distracted 
shadow  of  that  other  Philip  staggering  on  through  the 
rain. 

He  has  forgotten  his  soldier  comrades  and  the  meaning 
of  his  life  on  the  mountain.  He  has  forgotten  even  his 
patriotism  and  the  existence  of  the  flag  with  thirty-three 


PHILIP  ON  THE  EDGE  OF  THE  PKECLPICE. 


THE  GOLDEN  MILL  177 

stars.  Sherman  Territory  is  receding  under  Ms  feet,  and 
the  grief  that  he  has  created  for  himself  so  industriously 
and  nursed  so  patiently  is  leading  him  on. 

A  blotch  of  shadows  to  the  right  assumes  the  ghostly 
form  of  spreading  trees,  the  naked  branches  blending 
softly  in  the  blanket  of  the  fog.  The  gnarled  chestnuts, 
that  looked  like  berry-bushes  while  they  waited  at  the 
deserted  cabin  on  that  first  night  for  the  moon  to  go 
down,  give  no  voice  of  warning,  and  Philip  comes  steadily 
on,  with  the  telescope  strapped  to  his  back  and  the  load  in 
his  heart.  Under  his  heedless  feet  the  dead  weeds  and  the 
sodden  leaves  give  way  to  the  slippery  rock. 

For  a  moment  the  slender  figure  crossed  by  the  telescope 
is  massed  against  the  mist  overhanging  the  Cove.  Then 
there  is  a  despairing  cry  and  a  futile  clutching  at  the  cruel 
ledge,  and,  in  the  silence  that  follows,  the  vertical  rain,  out 
of  the  blanket  of  the  fog,  goes  on  shivering  its  tiny  lances 
on  the  slippery  rocks. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

WHICH   SHOWS  THAT  A  MISHAP   IS  NOT  ALWAYS 
A   MISFORTUNE 

,  T  was  still  early  in  the  day  when  Philip  fell  over 
the  boulder  face  of  the  mountain ;  and  when 
the  chopping  which  he  had  heard  through  the 
fog  ceased  at  the  house,  Bromley  had  indeed 
gone  in,  but  not  for  shelter  from  the  rain.  He  had  gone 
to  warn  Lieutenant  Coleman  of  the  absence  of  their  half- 
demented  comrade  and  of  the  peril  he  ran  in  wandering 
about  on  the  mountain  in  the  fog.  They  felt  so  sure  of 
finding  him  near  the  point  of  rocks  that  they  went  to- 
gether in  that  direction;  but  before  they  started  Philip 
had  wandered  from  the  path,  and  by  the  time  they  reached 
the  rocks  he  had  put  the  house  behind  him  and  was  walk- 
ing in  the  direction  of  the  Cove.  Finding  no  trace  of  him 
there,  and  seeing  the  dense  mist  which  covered  the  valley 
and  made  observation  impossible,  they  separated  and  went 
off  in  opposite  ways,  calling  him  by  name,  "  Philip ! 
Philip ! "  and  as  they  got  farther  and  farther  from  each 
other,   "  Philip !    Philip ! "    came    back  to    each   faintly 

178 


A  MISHAP  IS  NOT  ALWAYS  A  MISFORTUNE      179 

through  the  fog  and  the  rain.  They  made  their  way  to 
such  points  as  he  might  have  found  shelter  under,  but 
their  calls  brought  no  response.  They  knew  that  in  his 
peculiar  state  of  mind  he  might  hear  then*  voices  and  make 
no  reply,  and  in  this  was  at  last  their  only  hope  of  his 
safety  as  they  continued  their  search. 

At  twelve  o'clock  a  wind  set  in  from  the  east,  redou- 
bhng  the  rain,  but  rapidly  dispelling  the  fog.  In  an  hour 
every  place  where  he  could  possibly  have  concealed  him- 
self had  been  searched,  and  with  one  mind  they  came  back 
to  the  point  of  rocks.  They  lay  out  on  the  wet  ledge  and 
looked  over  with  fear  and  trembling,  haK  expecting  to  see 
his  mangled  body  below.  They  could  see  clearly  to  the 
foot  of  the  precipice,  and  there  was  nothing  there  but  the 
smooth,  trackless  snow ;  and  then  when  they  drew  back 
they  looked  in  each  other's  faces  and  knew  for  the  first 
time  how  much  they  loved  Phihp  and  how  much  each  was 
to  the  other. 

They  were  almost  certain  now  that  he  had  fallen  over 
one  face  of  the  mountain  or  the  other.  Yesterday  they 
could  have  followed  his  track  in  the  thin  snow,  but  now 
the  rain,  which  was  still  falling  heavily,  had  obliterated 
one  after  melting  what  remained  of  the  other.  They  went 
together  down  the  ladders,  and  for  its  whole  length  along 
the  base  of  that  ledge.  When  they  returned  to  the  pla- 
teau, Lieutenant  Coleman  and  Bromley  were  tired,  and 
soaked  with  the  rain,  and  crushed  with  the  awful  certainty 
that  Philip  had  fallen  over  the  great  rock  face  into  the 
Cove.     They  could  neither  eat  nor  sleep  as  long  as  there 

10* 


180  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

was  a  possibility  of  discovering  any  clue  to  his  fate ;  and 
so  in  time  they  came  to  the  slippery  rock  in  front  of  the 
station,  where  the  heel  of  his  boot  or  the  sharp  edge  of  the 
telescope  had  made  a  scratch  on  the  stone  that  the  rain 
was  powerless  to  wash  out. 

It  was  no  use  to  call  his  name  after  that  dreadful  plunge, 
the  very  thought  of  which  tied  their  tongues  to  that  extent 
that  the  two  men  stood  in  silence  over  their  discovery ; 
and  when  they  could  learn  no  more  they  came  away  hand 
in  hand,  without  uttering  a  word. 

This  was  indeed  the  point  where  Philip  had  gone  over 
the  great  rock;  but  by  a  strange  good  fortune  his  body 
had  plunged  into  a  mass  of  rotten  snow  fifty  feet  from  the 
brink  of  the  precipice.  It  was  the  snow  of  the  avalanche 
making  ready  to  fall ;  and  through  this  first  bank  his  body 
broke  its  way,  falling  from  point  to  point  for  another  fifty 
feet,  until  he  lay  unconscious  over  the  roots  of  the  great 
icicles  which  hung  free  from  the  rounded  ledge  below  him, 
dripping  their  substance  nine  hundred  feet  into  the  Cove. 

When  he  came  to  himself,  chilled  and  sore  after  his 
great  faU,  the  moon  was  shining  softly  on  the  snow  about 
him  and  sparkling  on  the  ice  below.  He  had  no  recollec- 
tion of  his  faU,  and  but  the  vaguest  remembrance  of  what 
had  gone  before.  It  was  rather  as  if  he  had  dreamed  that 
he  had  fallen  upon  the  avalanche,  and  when  he  had  first 
opened  his  eyes  upon  the  snow  about  him  and  above  him, 
he  tried  to  reason  with  himself  that  no  dream  could  be  so 
real.  He  remembered  vaguely  the  autumn  days  by  the 
golden  miU,  and  he  knew  that  it  was  not  winter  at  all ; 


A  MISHAP  IS  NOT  ALWAYS  A  MISFORTUNE      181 

and  yet  this  was  real  snow  in  which  he  lay  bruised  and 
helpless.  He  realized  that  he  was  almost  frozen,  and  his 
clothing,  that  had  been  wet,  was  now  stiffening  on  his 
limbs.  The  great  shock  had  restored  his  shattered  mind, 
leaving  a  wide  blank,  it  is  true,  to  be  filled  in  for  the  best 
part  of  the  year  that  was  past.  He  was  himself  again 
now,  but  where  it  was  not  at  first  so  clear.  There  was 
nothing  to  be  seen  above  beyond  the  snow  which  hung 
over  him ;  but  when  he  turned  his  sore  body  so  as  to  look 
away  from  the  mountain-side,  his  eyes  rested  on  the  long 
white  roof  of  the  Cove  post-office,  as  he  had  seen  it  often 
before  from  the  top  of  the  plateau.  Philip  knew  now  that 
he  was  in  the  very  heart  of  the  avalanche.  He  lay  on  the 
very  brink  of  the  ice  which  might  fall  with  the  heat  of 
another  day's  sun.  At  first  he  began  to  cry  out  for  help  j 
but  his  voice  was  such  a  small  thing  in  the  mass  of  snow 
against  the  great  rock.  And  then  he  thought  of  the  people 
from  the  hills  who  would  come  at  noon  of  the  next  day  to 
watch  by  the  post-office  to  see  him  fall— him,  Philip  Wel- 
ton !  And  then  he  thought  of  Coleman  and  Bromley,  who 
must  have  given  him  up  for  dead ;  and  even  of  his  uncle 
at  the  old  mOl,  with  more  of  desire  than  he  had  ever  felt 
for  him  before.  He  tried  to  drag  himself  a  little  from  the 
icy  brink ;  but  his  legs  and  arms  were  numb  and  stiffened 
with  the  cold.  He  began  to  clap ^  his  nerveless  hands  and 
stimulate  the  circulation  of  his  blood  by  such  movements 
as  he  could  make.  He  had  an  instinctive  feehng  that  the 
avalanche  had  been  trembling  yesterday  where  it  clung  to 
the  great,  black,  vertical  stain  on  the  face  of  the  boulder 


182  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

just  below  the  trees  that  looked  like  berry-bushes  from  the 
road  in  the  Cove.  He  knew  that  it  would  not  fall  during 
the  night.  He  had  no  recollection  of  the  rain.  He  knew 
that  more  heat  of  the  sun  was  yet  required  to  loosen  it 
for  the  great  plunge.  It  was  freezing  now,  and  every  hour 
added  soUdity  to  the  surface  of  the  snow ;  and  yet  as  he 
gained  the  power  he  feared  to  move,  as  the  workman  dis- 
trusts the  strong  scaffold  about  the  tall  steeple  because  of 
its  great  height  from  the  ground. 

Above  him,  ten  feet  away,  he  could  see  the  hole  in  the 
snow  through  which  he  knew  he  must  have  fallen ;  and 
as  he  thought  of  the  fearful  shoot  his  body  would  have 
made,  clearing  even  the  great  ledge  of  icicles,  if  the  sur- 
face of  that  bank  had  not  been  rotted  by  some  cause,  his 
limbs  were  almost  paralyzed  with  terror.  The  thought 
helped  to  stir  the  sluggish  blood  in  his  veins,  and  he  shrank, 
rather  than  moved,  a  little  from  the  awful  brink  where  he 
lay.  Gradually  he  rose  to  his  feet  and  looked  about  him. 
The  Cove  post-office,  showing  its  white  roof  through  the 
naked  trees  that  looked  like  berry-bushes  in  theii-  tm-n, 
far,  far  below  him,  fascinated  him  until  he  felt  a  mad 
impulse  to  leap  over  the  icicles  to  oblivion.  Instead  of 
yielding  to  this  impulse,  however,  he  covered  his  eyes 
with  his  hands  until  he  found  strength  to  turn  his  back 
on  the  tiny  object  that  terrified  him.  If  he  cried  out,  his 
voice,  against  the  rock  for  a  sounding-board,  might  awaken 
the  sleeping  postmaster  before  his  comrades  on  the  pla- 
teau. Even  in  that  case  no  help  could  reach  him  from 
below  across  the  bridgeless  gorge;  and  even  if  his  com- 


V 


'^-Hi' 


V  •^■^-'^ 


//'  .^v-^: 


'PHILIP  COULD  SEE   THE  HOLE   IX  THE   SNOW  THKOrGH   WHICH  HE  KXEW  HE 
ilUST  HAVE   FALLEN  '• 


A  MISHAP  IS  NOT  ALWAYS  A  MISFORTUNE      185 

rades  were  above  Mm  on  the  rocks,  they  could  do  nothing 
for  him. 

Should  he  wait  there  to  meet  certain  death  in  the  ava- 
lanche to-morrow  or  the  next  day?  He  thought  of  the 
cool  courage  of  Bromley,  and  wondered  what  he  would  do 
if  he  were  there  in  his  place.  As  long  as  there  was  a  foot- 
hold to  be  gained,  he  knew  Bromley  would  climb  higher, 
if  it  were  only  to  fall  the  farther,  and  he  felt  a  thrill  of 
pride  in  the  dauntless  nerve  of  his  comrade.  This  thought 
prompted  him  to  do  something  for  himself,  and  he  began 
by  whipping  his  arms  around  his  body,  keeping  his  back 
resolutely  on  the  small  post-of&ce,  and  trying  to  forget 
its  dizzy  distance  below  him.  As  he  grew  warmer  and 
stronger,  he  felt  more  courage.  It  was  impossible  to  reach 
the  hole  in  the  snow  through  which  he  had  come,  for  the 
broken  sides  separated  in  the  wrong  way  from  the  perpen- 
dicular.    He  was  not  a  fly  to  crawl  on  a  ceiling. 

A  few  yards  to  his  right,  as  he  stood  facing  the  moun- 
tain, the  bank  through  which  his  body  had  broken  its  way 
made  a  smooth  curve  to  the  ledge  where  the  icicles  began. 
As  he  looked  at  the  great  polished  surface  of  the  snow,  the 
thought  came  to  him  that  nothing  in  all  the  world  but  the 
soft  moonlight  could  cling  there.  Hopeless  as  the  passage 
by  the  bank  was,  he  could  reach  it ;  and  the  feeling  that 
it  led  away  to  the  region  above  prompted  him  to  pick  his 
way  along  the  narrow  ledge  until  he  could  touch  with  his 
hand  the  smooth  surface  of  the  bank.  He  could  only  touch 
it  with  his  hand,  for  the  edge  curved  over  his  head  as  he 
stood  alongside  it.     He  felt  that  the  bank  was  hard ;  he 


186  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

was  unable  to  break  its  crust  with  his  hand ;  and  he  knew 
that  every  moment  it  was  growing  harder.  His  strong 
knife  was  in  his  pocket.  He  drew  out  this  and  opened  it 
with  his  stiff  fingers.  Then  he  began  to  cut  his  way  under 
the  bank.  Beyond  the  first  surface  the  snow  yielded 
readily  to  his  efforts ;  and  as  it  fell  under  his  feet  he  made 
his  way  diagonally  upward  until  at  the  end  of  half  an  hour, 
as  it  seemed  to  him,  he  broke  the  crust  of  the  great  bank 
and  pushed  his  head  through  into  the  fair  moonlight.  He 
looked  up  at  the  glaring  steep  above  him,  and  it  was  be- 
yond his  power  not  to  take  one  look  back  at  the  tiny  post- 
ofSce  below  him.  If  he  had  not  been  safely  wedged  in  the 
bank,  it  would  have  been  his  last  look  in  life.  As  it  was, 
he  shrank  trembling  into  the  snow,  and  for  a  whole  minute 
he  never  moved  a  muscle. 

Fortunately  for  his  shattered  nerves,  it  was  not  neces- 
sary to  go  out  upon  the  surface  of  the  bank,  which  was 
considerably  less  than  perpendicular.  He  had  only  to  cut 
away  the  crust  with  his  knife,  and  so  gradually  work  his 
way  upward  in  a  soft  trench,  leaving  only  his  head  and 
shoulders  above  the  crust. 

Philip  felt  a  strange  exultation  in  this  new  power  to 
advance  upward,  and  all  his  sturdy  strength  came  to  his 
aid  in  his  extremity.  He  felt  no  disposition  to  look  back 
at  the  trail  he  knew  he  was  leaving  in  the  snow.  He  was 
certain  now  of  gaining  the  top  of  the  bank,  but  what  lay 
beyond  he  knew  not.  HaK  the  distance  he  had  fallen 
would  still  be  above  him.  He  was  almost  up  now ;  but  at 
the  very  top  of  the  bank  there  was  another  curl  of  the 
snow,  and  once  more  he  had  to  burrow  under  Hke  a  mole. 


A  MISHAP  IS  NOT  ALWAYS  A  MISFORTUNE      187 

When  Philip's  head  did  appear  again  on  the  surface,  it 
was  not  so  light  as  before,  and  with  his  fii-st  glance  around 
he  saw  that  the  moon  was  already  sinking  below  the  op- 
posite ridge.  He  was  almost  within  reach  of  another  hole 
to  his  left ;  and  by  its  appearance,  and  by  the  distance  he 
had  come,  he  knew  it  was  not  the  same  which  he  had  seen 
from  below,  and  alongside  it  the  last  rays  of  the  moon 
glinted  on  the  brass  bai'rel  of  the  telescope  attached  to  its 
broken  strap.  How  it  had  come  there  he  had  no  idea,  any 
more  than  he  had  how  he  had  come  to  be  lying  on  the 
ledge  above  the  icicles  where  he  had  found  himself  a  few 
hours  before.  It  was  the  old  familiar  telescope  of  the 
station,  through  which  the  three  soldiers  had  looked  at 
the  prisoners  and  at  old  Shifless  in  the  valley,  and  it  made 
him  glad  as  if  he  had  met  an  old  friend.  He  stretched  out 
his  hand  to  draw  it  to  him.  Instead  of  securing  it,  his 
clumsy  fingers  rolled  it  from  him  on  the  smooth  snow,  and 
as  he  looked  at  it  the  telescope  turned  on  end  and  disap- 
peared through  the  hole  in  the  bank.  In  the  awful  still- 
ness on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  he  heard  it  strike  twice 
It  was  nothing  to  Philip  now  whether  it  fell  in  advance  or 
waited  to  go  down  with  the  avalanche.  And  just  as  this 
thought  had  passed  through  his  mind,  and  as  he  tui*ned 
his  eyes  to  the  side  of  the  cliff  above  him,  the  far-away 
sound  of  metal  striking  on  stone  broke  sharply  on  his  ear, 
and  he  knew  that  the  telescope  had  been  smashed  to  atoms 
on  the  rocks  in  the  Cove  bottom. 

From  where  he  crouched  now  on  the  snow  he  could  see 
the  edge  of  the  plateau  above  him,  and  as  near  as  he  could 
judge  it  was  rather  less  than  fifty  feet  away.     The  smooth 


188  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

rock  was  cased  in  thin  ice— so  thin  that  he  believed  he 
could  see  the  black  storm-stain  underneath.  It  was  gi-ow- 
ing  dark  now,  and  after  all  his  toil  and  hope  he  had  only- 
gained  a  little  higher  seat  on  the  back  of  the  avalanche. 
He  saw  with  half  a  glance  that  it  would  be  impossible  to 
climb  higher.  He  heard  the  wind  whistle  through  the 
branches  of  the  dwarfed  old  chestnut-trees  over  his  head ; 
and  as  the  cold  was  so  stiU  about  him,  he  knew  that  it  was 
an  east  wind.  He  could  go  nearer  to  the  ledge,  but  he 
could  gain  no  foothold  on  the  rock.  In  the  midst  of  his 
cruel  disappointment  and  his  awful  dread  of  the  sun  which 
would  come  to  melt  the  snow  next  day,  he  felt  a  greater 
terror  than  he  had  felt  when  he  had  first  found  himself 
down  below.  His  companions  might  have  gone  mad  and 
thrown  him  over  the  rock.  It  was  aU  a  dark  mystery  to 
poor  Philip.  He  could  barely  see  about  him  now.  Even 
the  sun  would  be  better  than  this  darkness.  It  might  be 
cold  to-moiTow.  At  any  rate,  it  would  be  afternoon  be- 
fore the  sun,  however  warm,  could  get  in  its  deadly  work 
on  the  avalanche.  It  never  occurred  to  him  that  he  was 
nearly  famished,  and  he  must  have  slept  some  where  he 
sat  in  the  snow,  for  he  dreamed  that  the  people  were 
gathered  at  the  post-office  to  see  him  fall,  and  a  crash  like 
the  roar  of  battle  brought  him  to  his  senses  with  a  start. 
The  next  time  he  awoke,  the  bright  sun  was  indeed  shining, 
and  he  was  stiff  with  the  cold,  as  he  had  found  himself  at 
first.  He  was  hungry,  too,  as  he  had  never  been  hungry 
before,  and  the  fear  of  starvation  seemed  more  dreadful 
to  him  than  the  dread  of  the  avalanche. 


A  MISHAP  IS  NOT  ALWAYS  A  MISFORTUNE      189 

As  he  lay  there  in  his  weakened  state,  his  ears  were 
alert  for  the  faintest  sound.  He  thought  he  heard  a  move- 
ment on  the  ledge  above  him,  and  then  he  heard  voices 
clear  and  distinct.  They  were  the  voices  of  Coleman  and 
Bromley. 

"  Poor  Philip !  "  he  heard  them  say. 

At  first  he  was  unable  to  speak  in  his  excitement,  and 
then  he  raised  his  voice  with  all  the  strength  of  his  lungs, 
and  cried,  "  Help !  Help ! " 

"Isthatyou,  PhiUp?" 

"  Yes,  George  !     Yes !     Help !  " 

By  questioning  him  they  learned  what  his  situation  was, 
and  the  distance  he  lay  from  the  top  of  the  ledge ;  for  they 
could  gain  no  position  where  they  could  see  him.  They 
bade  him  keep  up  his  courage  until  they  came  again.  It 
was  indeed  a  long  time  before  he  heard  their  voices  again 
speaking  to  him,  and  then  down  over  the  icy  rock  came  a 
knotted  rope  made  of  strips  of  the  canvas  that  remained 
of  the  "  A  "  tent.  At  the  end  of  the  life-line,  as  it  dangled 
nearer  and  nearer,  were  two  strong  loops  like  a  breeches- 
buoy.  Philip  felt  strong  again  when  he  had  the  line  in 
his  hand,  and  thrusting  his  legs  through  the  loops,  he 
called  out  to  hoist  away.  As  he  went  up,  up,  he  clung 
fast  with  his  hands  to  the  strip  of  canvas ;  but  he  was  too 
weak  to  keep  himself  away  from  the  rock  with  his  feet,  so 
he  bumped  against  it  until  he  was  drawn  over  the  surface 
of  the  same  stone  he  had  slipped  on  the  morning  before. 
He  saw  the  kind  faces  of  his  two  comrades,  and  then  he 
sank  unconscious  on  the  firm  earth  at  their  feet. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

HOW  THE    POSTMASTER    SAW   A    GHOST 

JN  the  day  when  Philip  feU  into  the  avalanche, 
although  it  was  likely  to  break  away  from  the 
face  of  the  mountain  at  any  moment  and  come 
thundering  down  on  the  rocks  below,  not  a 
single  person  came  to  the  office  to  watch  with  the  post- 
master, who  went  outside  from  time  to  time  and  gazed 
up  into  the  mist,  and  then,  with  a  sigh  of  rehef,  returned 
to  his  arm-chair  before  the  fireplace.  In  better  weather 
he  would  have  had  plenty  of  gossiping  company,  for  ava- 
lanche day  was  quite  the  liveliest  day  in  his  calendar. 
Despite  the  rain  which  kept  pattering  on  the  low  roof,  he 
hoped  that  the  snow  and  ice  would  hold  fast  to  the  rock 
until  the  sun  came  again ;  but  nevertheless  his  old  ears 
were  constantly  on  the  alert  for  the  crash  which  he  feared. 
On  many  a  January  day,  in  the  years  that  were  past, 
he  had  occupied  his  favorite  chair  in  the  warm  sun  against 
the  east  wall  of  the  office,  suiTounded  by  his  neighbors, 
watching  the  glittering  mass,  and  noting  the  smaU  frag- 
ments of  ice  which  broke  away  from  time  to  time  before 

190 


HOW  THE  POSTMASTER  SAW  A  GHOST  191 

the  final  crash.  He  had  heard  nothing  yet,  and  as  the 
gloomy  afternoon  wore  on  he  began  to  be  almost  certain 
that  he  was  not  to  lose  his  holiday,  after  all. 

The  postmaster,  though  living  so  much  alone,  had  a  way 
of  talking  to  himself,  and  on  this  occasion  he  was  more 
talkative  than  ever,  because  of  the  uneasiness  he  felt. 

"  Hit 's  a  quare  thing,"  he  said,  getting  up  and  kicking 
the  logs  into  a  blaze,  and  then  sitting  down  again  in  his 
sheepskin-cushioned  chair.     "  Hit 's  plumb  quare." 

By  way  of  making  these  solitary  talks  more  sociable, 
the  old  man  had  developed  a  clever  habit  of  talking  in 
dialogue,  imagining  himself  for  the  time  in  the  company 
of  some  congenial  spirit,  for  whom  he  spoke  as  well  as  for 
himself.  On  this  particular  occasion  his  imaginary  com- 
panion was  a  mountain  woman  for  whom  he  had  felt  a 
sentimental  regard  years  before,  but  to  whom  he  had  never 
told  his  love. 

"  What  's  quare,  ^Manuel  f  Why,  look  here,  'Liz'beth ; 
I  've  sorted  the  mail  here  more  'n  thirty  year,  watchin'  the 
avalanches  fall  off  yonder  mounting,  an'  in  all  that  time 
I  've  never  set  my  foot  onto  the  top  of  hit.  Most  of  us  on 
this  side  hain't,  'Manuel;  an'  since  the  bridge  rotted  away  an' 
tumbled  into  the  gorge,  there  ain't  no  way  o'  gittin'  thar. 
'Liz'beth,  I  'm  nat'rally  a  venturesome  man,  though  I  never 
showed  it  to  you,  'Liz'beth,  when  I  ought  to.  That 's  tvhat 
ye  did  n't.  I  'm  a  venturesome  man ;  an'  this  here  is  what 
I  've  made  up  my  mind  to,  'Liz'beth  Hough.  I  'm  detar- 
mined  to  see  the  top  o'  that  mounting  afore  I  'm  a  year 
older ;  an'  I  've  set  the  time,  'Liz'beth— nothin'  personal 


192  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

in  that,  but  meanin'  that  when  the  dogwood  blossoms  in 
the  spring  I  'm  goin'  to  find  some  way  to  git  up  thar. 
How  'U  ye  do  hit,  'Manuel  f  Hit 's  likely  I  'U  fall  a  tree 
across  the  gorge.    DorCt  do  hit,  ^Manuel.    Why  not  ? " 

The  postmaster  looked  wise,  and  put  out  his  hand  as  if 
he  were  playfully  touching  his  imaginary  companion  under 
the  chin.  *'  Why  not,  'Liz'beth  ?  Because  folJcs  do  say  that 
the  old  man  that  lived  up  thar  was  murdered,  an'  that  his 
spirit  has  tooTc  the  form  of  a  harnt,  an'  brings  had  luck  to  such 
as  goes  up  thar  to  disturb  him." 

The  postmaster  rose  and  kicked  the  fire  impatiently. 
"Bah!  I  'm  a  bold  man,  'Liz'beth,  past  occasions  not- 
withstandin'.  I  'm  sot  an'  detarmined  to  do  hit  when  the 
dogwood-trees  blossom  out,  an'  I  'm  'lowin'  you  '11  come 
an'  tend  the  ofl&ce,  'Liz'beth,  while  I  'm  gone." 

The  postmaster  stood  with  his  back  to  the  fire,  looking 
down  over  his  left  shoulder  to  where  the  imaginary  form 
of  Elizabeth  sat. 

"You  '11  come  an'  speU  me,  wiU  ye,  'Liz'beth?  You 
alius  was  a  'commodatin'  woman.  No,  there  ain't  nothin' 
for  ye  to-day— not  so  much  as  a  paper.  Don't  be  in  a 
hurry.  This  here  idee  of  explorin'  that  mounting  has  took 
a  powerful  hold  on  me,  sure.  Nothin'  that  you  can  say 
will  prevent  me  from  so  doin'.  Well,  if  you  must  go, 
'Liz'beth,  I  s'pose  hit 's  high  time  I  was  gittin'  my  supper. 
After  I  wash  the  dishes,  I  'low  to  walk  across  to  the  big 
road  an'  see  if  there  's  any  tracks.  Grood-by,  'Liz'beth. 
Good-by,  'Manuel." 

The  postmaster  was  sUent  while  he  raked  out  a  bed  of 


HOW  THE  POSTMASTER  SAW  A  GHOST  193 

coals  and  set  the  three-legged  iron  skillet  over  the  very- 
hottest  place.  Then  he  mixed  some  Indian  meal  with  milk 
and  a  pinch  of  salt,  and  having  patted  it  down  in  the 
skillet,  he  put  on  the  cover,  and  filled  the  rim  with  more 
coals  and  some  burning  embers.  After  he  had  buried  a 
potato  in  the  ashes,  and  set  the  coffee  down  to  warm  over, 
he  broke  out  again : 

"I  could  n't  'a'  been  mistaken  about  there  bein'  no  thin' 
for  'Liz'beth.  I  sort  o'  spoke  at  random,  knowin'  that  the 
last  letter  she  got  was  in  '68,  month  o'  May."  Then  he 
stepped  back  so  as  to  look  through  the  letter-boxes,  which 
were  before  the  south  window.  '^  There  's  nothin'  in  H 
except  a  linch-pin,  an'  I  'low  that  oughter  be  in  L— no, 
that 's  for  Riley  Hooper,  Hello !  hit 's  clearin'.  There  '11 
be  a  moon  to-night,  an'  nothin'  's  goin'  to  drap  afore  to- 
morrow." 

After  he  had  eaten,  and  put  away  the  supper-things,  the 
postmaster  took  down  his  rifle  from  the  rack  over  the  door, 
and  stepped  out  into  the  clearing. 

The  sky  was  not  yet  free  from  rolling  clouds,  which 
were  drifting  into  the  east  across  the  face  of  the  great  full 
moon  that  hung  directly  over  the  mountain.  Stretching 
away  to  the  seamed  rock  where  the  avalanche  hung  was 
a  wide  old  field,  broken  by  rocks  and  bristling  with  girdled 
trees,  whose  dead  limbs  wi'iggled  upward  and  outward  like 
the  hundred  hands  of  Briareus.  The  postmaster  kept  to 
the  foot-worn  trail,  shuffling  over  the  wet  leaves,  and 
glancing  up  now  and  then  at  the  granite  front  of  old 
Whiteside  with  great  satisfaction,  not  only  because  the 
11 


194  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

avalanche  was  safe  for  the  night,  but  because  he  loved  to 
tliink  that  whatever  secrets  the  mountain  held  would  be 
his  when  the  dogwood-blossoms  came  in  the  spring. 

He  went  as  far  as  the  big  road,  and  finding  plenty  of 
fresh  tracks,  he  kept  on  in  the  direction  of  Cashiers  until 
he  came  to  a  cabin  where  the  bright  warm  light  glowed 
through  the  chinks  between  the  logs  and  through  the 
cracks  about  the  chimney  as  if  the  place  were  on  fire.  By 
the  merry  laughter  he  heard  and  the  scraping  of  a  viohn 
he  knew  that  a  frolic  was  going  on,  and  he  chuckled  to 
think  that  he  had  in  his  pocket  a  certain  letter  which 
would  be  a  convenient  excuse  for  dropping  in  on  the 
revelers. 

The  postmaster  must  have  been  welcome  in  his  own 
social  person  over  and  above  the  favor  of  the  letter  he 
brought,  for  it  was  hard  upon  twelve  o'clock  when  he  came 
out  and  took  his  way  homeward,  feeling  jollier  than  he 
had  felt  for  many  a  day,  and  carrying  a  cake  in  a  paper 
parcel  under  his  arm  for  the  coming  festivities  at  the 
office. 

"  Who  'd  'a'  thought,"  he  said,  turning  to  look  back  at 
the  lighted  cabin,  where  the  revelry  was  at  its  height, 
"that  I  'd  'a'  been  dancin'  a  figger  this  night  on  the 
puncheons  with  'Liz'beth  Hough  ?  Hit  sort  o'  took  all  the 
boldness  out  o'  me  when  she  come  over  an'  asted  me.  I 
don't  low  any  other  human  could  'a'  cowed  me  that-a-way. 
I  'm  a  bold  man  under  ordinary  conditions  prevailin'  an' 
takin'  place.  I  ain't  easy  to  skeer,"  he  continued  as  he 
resumed  his  walk, ''  leastways  where  men  is  concarned." 


HOW  THE  POSTMASTER  SAW  A  GHOST  195 

It  was  cold  now,  and  still,  and  the  wrinkled  mud  on  the 
road  was  curdled  with  frost.  The  moon  was  well  over  to 
the  west  range.  The  last  cloud  had  disappeared,  and  the 
stars  were  like  jewels  in  the  sky  through  the  bare  limbs 
of  the  trees.  He  was  in  such  a  rare  state  of  exhilaration 
that  he  was  more  talkative  than  ever,  and  kept  up  a  run- 
ning conversation  with  first  one  neighbor  and  then  another, 
until  his  cheerful  dialogue,  which  had  brought  him  to 
the  border  of  his  own  field  and  in  sight  of  the  office,  was 
rudely  interrupted  by  the  "  too-hoot "  of  an  owl  somewhere 
among  the  girdled  trees. 

''  Shet  up,"  said  the  postmaster,  carefully  laying  the  cake 
down  on  the  leaves,  and  cocking  his  rifle.  "  Good  night, 
Riley.  Linch-pin  's  come ;  twelve  cents  postage  stamped 
on  the  tag.  Good  nighf,  'Manuel.  I  must  tend  to  this 
sassy  critter,  interruptin'  of  his  betters.  Where  be  ye, 
anyway?  Know  enough  to  hold  yer  tongue,  don't  ye? 
I  '11  let  ye  know  I  'm  a  bold  man,  leastways—"  and  with 
that  he  fired  his  gun  at  random.  In  the  windless  night 
the  sharp  report  seemed  to  strike  against  the  granite 
mountain  and  be  thrown  back  like  a  ball  of  sound,  to  go 
bounding  across  the  Cove,  rolling  into  the  distance. 

The  postmaster  reloaded  his  gun  and  eased  the  lock 
down  upon  a  fresh  cap  before  he  took  up  the  cake,  mut- 
tering at  the  owl,  and  then  chuckling  to  think  that  he  had 
silenced  his  rival. 

He  turned  out  of  the  trail  to  a  little  knoll  which  com- 
manded a  clear  view  of  the  granite  mountain,  streaked 
down  with  black  storm-stains  that  looked  like  huge  ban- 


196  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

ners  fluttering  out  from  the  shining  mass  of  snow  and  ice 
clinging  to  the  crest. 

The  postmaster  gazed  upward  for  some  minutes,  and 
then  moved  on  in  silence  toward  the  office,  under  the 
girdled  trees.  The  avalanche  was  uppermost  in  his  mind, 
however,  and  before  he  had  gone  far  he  stopped  on  an- 
other place  of  vantage  to  take  a  last  fond  look. 

"  Freezin'  tighter  an'  tighter  every  blessed  minute,"  he 
began.  "  When  the  dogwood-trees  blossom  in  the  spring- 
time, old  rock,  I  'II  let  ye  know  I  'm  a  bold—" 

He  never  finished  the  sentence. 

The  cake  and  the  rifle  fell  to  the  ground,  and  the  post- 
master's jaw  dropped  on  its  hinges.  Cold  chills  ran  up 
his  back  and  blew  like  a  wind  through  his  haii-,  while  the 
blood  seemed  to  throb  in  his  ears.  He  was  powerless  to 
speak.  He  could  only  gaze  with  his  bulging  eyes  at  the 
small  figure  which  rose  slowly  from  the  roots  of  the  great 
icicles  and  then  stood  motionless  and  black  against  the 
snow.  It  looked  to  be  a  figure,  so  small  and  far  away  in 
the  uncertain  moonlight,  and  yet  it  stood  where  no  living 
man  could  possibly  be.  His  first  conviction  was  that  he 
saw  the  spirit  of  the  old  man  of  the  mountain,  who,  for 
one  reason  or  another,  was  believed  to  rest  uneasily  in  his 
grave ;  and  when  the  small  object  began  to  thresh  the  air 
with  its  arms  like  the  wings  of  a  windmill,  he  had  no 
further  doubt  that  it  was  the  dreadful  "harnt"  of  whom 
'Liz'beth  had  warned  him.  With  a  howl  he  tui*ned  and 
fled  over  the  field  in  the  direction  of  the  office,  and  as  he 
ran  the  owl  resumed  its  dismal  note—" Too-hoo,  too-hoot." 
As  many  times  as  he  fell  down  he  clambered  upon  his  feet 


HOW  THE  POSTMASTER  SAW  A  GHOST  197 

again,  and  ran  on,  never  daring  to  look  back  at  the 
"  harnt "  waving  its  ghostly  arms  above  the  roots  of  the 
great  icicles.  He  thought  his  time  had  come,  for  he  had 
heard  that  men  never  lived  who  had  once  seen  the  dead ; 
and  all  the  time,  as  he  ran,  the  mocking  cry  of  the  owl 
resounded  through  the  woods. 

The  postmaster  was  staggering  and  breathless  when  he 
reached  his  door,  and  once  inside,  he  shoved  the  wooden 
bolt,  and  leaned  against  the  table  in  the  center  of  the  room. 
Only  a  few  glimmering  coals  lighted  the  ashes  between 
the  iron  fire-dogs.  Just  enough  moonlight  struggled 
through  the  grimy  south  window  to  show  the  glazed  boxes, 
holding  a  paper  here  and  an  uncalled-for  letter  there, 
while  the  unused  places  were  stuffed  with  bunches  of 
twine,  and  heaps  of  nails,  and  strings  of  onions,  and  quite 
the  dustiest  litter  of  odds  and  ends  filled  the  compartments 
X,  Y,  and  Z.  As  the  old  man  raised  his  eyes  and  glared 
around  the  shadowy  walls,  there  was  something  which 
caught  a  fleck  of  moonlight  high  up  on  the  chimney,  but 
that  was  only  the  perforated  cross  of  the  churn-dasher 
thrust  between  the  logs.  In  the  north  window,  over  op- 
posite to  the  letter-boxes,  his  eyes  fell  on  a  wide-mouthed 
bottle,  from  whose  top  two  dead  stalks  of  geraniums 
drooped  over  to  the  shoulders  of  the  bottle,  and  then 
spread  out  to  right  and  left  against  the  glass.  With  a 
shiver  of  fear,  he  supported  himself  over  to  his  arm-chair, 
and  sank  down  with  his  back  to  the  object,  which  re- 
minded him  of  the  "harnt"  flinging  its  arms  against  the 
snow  on  the  mountain. 

The  postmaster  had  not  yet  found  his  voice.     Perhaps 


198  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

he  feared  to  break  the  death-like  stillness  of  the  room, 
heavy  with  the  sooty  odor  of  the  fii-eplaee.  For  some 
moments  he  heard  nothing  but  his  own  heavy  breathing, 
and  then  a  dull  clatter,  like  some  hard  object  striking  on 
wood,  came  from  behind  the  house.  Instead  of  being 
startled  at  hearing  this  noise,  the  postmaster  got  upon  his 
feet,  and  shufiied  across  the  floor  and  out  through  a 
creaking  door  into  a  lean-to,  where  the  moonlight  poured 
through  the  loose  log  wall  and  lay  in  spots  and  stripes  on 
the  old  brindle  plow-steer,  which  was  still  grinding  his 
crumpled  horns  against  the  wooden  rack  above  his 
manger. 

''I  Ve  seen  hit.  Buck!  I  've  seen  hit.  The  harnt!  — 
the  harnt !  " 

The  postmaster's  voice  had  come  at  last,  and  as  he  spoke 
he  leaned  on  the  shoulders  of  the  ox,  whose  cold  wet  nose 
sought  his  groping  hand. 

"  I  hain't  got  long  to  stay.  I  've  seen  what 't  ain't  good 
to  see,  an'  live.  I  hope  ye  '11  git  a  good  master  when  I  'm 
gone.  Buck.  Tell  'Liz'beth  that  I  died  a-blessin'  of  her 
name,  with  all  the  boldness  took  clean  out  of  me.  Cut 
off  in  my  sins,"  he  moaned,  throwing  his  arms  about  the 
neck  of  the  ox,  ''  for  seein'  a  harnt  unbeknownst,  an'  hit 
strikin'  out  desperit  at  Jo-siah,  or  whoever  did  the  murder, 
an'  not  keerin'  for  the  avalanche  no  more  'n  you  keer  for 
a  hickory  gad.  Whoa,  Buck,  whoa,"  and  as  he  spoke  he 
patted  the  animal  on  the  neck.  "  I  'm  a-goin'  to  stay  'long 
o'  you.  Buck,  this  whole  endurin'  night.  I  'm  afeard  to 
go  back  into  the  ofi&ce." 


HOW  THE  POSTMASTER  SAW  A  GHOST  199 

The  postmaster  trembled  where  he  stood,  and  a  ray 
of  moonlight,  coming  through  a  knot-hole  in  the  slab 
roof,  fell  full  on  his  ashen  face  and  glaring  eyes.  He 
spoke  no  more  for  a  time,  except  an  occasional  caress- 
ing word  to  soothe  the  uneasy  ox,  which  sidled  about  and 
grated  his  horns  against  the  wooden  stanchions.  Then, 
when  he  grew  weary  in  that  position,  he  climbed  over 
into  the  long  manger  and  crouched  down  on  the  corn- 
shucks,  where  he  could  see  the  mild  eyes  of  the  ox,  and  the 
spots  and  stripes  of  moonlight  on  his  tough  hide.  Grad- 
ually he  grew  calmer,  and  tried  to  put  the  gruesome  sight 
he  had  seen  out  of  his  mind. 

"I  never  knowed  before  ye  was  sech  good  company, 
Buck.  You  've  got  eyes  like  a  woman,  an'  a  heap  more 
patience.  I  '11  never  strike  ye  another  blow,  an'  if  I  live 
to  see  to-morrow  I  '11  write  ye  a  letter,  an'  put  hit  in  B  box, 
expressin'  my  brother^  feehn's  in  language  more  fitter 
than  I  'm  able  to  do  now." 

The  postmaster  continued  to  mutter  caressingly  to  his 
dumb  companion,  until  the  bars  and  spots  of  moonlight 
began  to  fade,  leaving  the  ox  in  obscurity,  which  was  the 
time  when  PhUip  reached  the  upper  bank  and  sank  down 
on  the  snow,  after  hearing  the  telescope  strike  on  the  rocks 
in  the  Cove;  and  both  men  must  have  fallen  asleep  at 
about  the  same  time. 

It  was  mid-forenoon  when  the  postmaster  awoke,  and  a 
man  was  standing  over  him,  shaking  his  shoulder.  The 
man  was  coming  home  from  the  frolic  at  the  cabin,  and 
finding  the  front  door  bolted,  had  come  around  to  the 


200  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDffiRS 

shed.  He  had  the  cake  and  the  gnn,  which  he  had  found 
in  the  field. 

"  What  in  the  name  o'  sense  are  ye  doin'  here  at  this 
time  o'  day,  'Manuel  1    Come  outen  that  manger." 

The  postmaster  obeyed  in  a  dazed  sort  of  way,  and  when 
he  was  on  his  feet  he  shook  the  straws  and  bits  of  corn- 
husks  from  his  clothing,  the  old  brindle  ox  looking  at  the 
two  men  with  his  mild  eyes  from  his  place  in  the  corner. 

"What  made  ye  drap  these  things  out  in  the  field, 
'Manuel  ? "  said  the  man. 

"Come  into  the  office,  Jonas,"  said  the  postmaster, 
leading  the  way ;  and  then  he  told  the  other  of  the  fear- 
ful sight  he  had  seen. 

The  sun  was  warm  after  the  rain,  and  soon  others  began 
to  come, — men  and  women, — and  he  told  his  story  again 
and  again,  to  the  awe  and  amazement  of  his  simple  lis- 
teners. 

"  I  seen  a  quare  streak  down  the  long  bank,  as  I  came 
through  the  woods,"  said  one  man;  "I  did  sure."  And 
then  they  all  went  out  into  the  field  where  the  gun  and  the 
cake  had  been  found.  Sure  enough,  there  was  a  dull  line 
plainly  to  be  seen  on  the  smooth  crust  of  the  snow.  They 
all  agreed  that  this  was  the  track  of  the  "harnt,"  who  had 
amused  himself  in  the  night-time  by  climbing  up  and 
sliding  down  on  the  face  of  the  avalanche. 

The  story  spread  through  the  settlements,  and  no  man 
was  bold  enough  thereafter  to  think  of  bridging  the  gorge 
to  get  upon  the  haunted  mountain. 


CHAPTER  XVm 

KNOWLEDGE   PROM   ABOVE 

■HEN  Philip  awoke,  after  having  swooned  at  the 
feet  of  his  comrades  when  his  rescue  was  ac- 
complished, he  lay  in  the  delicious  warmth  of 
his  bunk.  The  late  afternoon  sun  streamed  in 
at  the  window  over  his  head,  and  Coleman  sat  watching 
at  his  side.  Bromley  was  stirring  the  fire,  which  was  burn- 
ing briskly  on  the  hearth,  and  the  smell  of  gruel  was  in 
the  room.  The  station  flags  and  the  crossed  sabers  bright- 
ened the  space  above  the  chimneypiece.  The  map  hung 
on  the  opposite  wall,  and  over  it  the  old  flag  with  thirty- 
five  stars  seemed  to  have  been  draped  just  where  it  woidd 
first  catch  his  waking  eye. 

Strangely  enough,  the  immediate  cause  that  awoke  Philip 
was  a  dull  boom  which  made  the  faces  of  his  comrades 
turn  pale,  and  which  was  no  less  than  the  fall  of  the  ava- 
lanche on  which  he  had  passed  the  night  and  the  best  part 
of  the  day  before. 

Philip,  if  he  heard  the  sound  at  all,  was  not  sufficiently 
awake  at  the  time  to  understand  its  awful  meaning ;  and 

201 


202  THE  LAST   THEEE  SOLDIERS 

without  noticing  the  pallor  of  his  comrades,  he  weakly  put 
out  his  hand,  which  Coleman  took  in  his  own  with  a  warm 
pressure,  and  Bromley  came  over  to  the  side  of  the  bunk 
and  looked  doubtingly  into  his  face.  Neither  of  his  com- 
rades uttered  a  word. 

"  Give  me  the  gruel,"  said  Philip ;  "  I  was  never  so  hun- 
gry before.  And  don't  look  at  me  so,  George ;  I  'm  not 
mad." 

After  he  had  eaten,  he  talked  so  rationally  that  Coleman 
and  Bromley  shook  each  other's  hands  and  laughed  im- 
moderately at  every  slightest  excuse  for  merriment,  but 
said  not  a  word  of  the  delusion  which  had  so  lately  dark- 
ened Philip's  mind.  They  were  so  very  jolly  that  Philip 
laughed  weakly  himself  by  infection,  and  then  he  asked 
them  to  teU  him  how  he  had  fallen  over  the  mountain 
without  knowing  it. 

In  reply  to  this  question,  Coleman  told  him  that  he  had 
been  sick,  and  that  he  must  have  walked  off  the  great  rock 
in  the  thick  fog. 

Philip  was  silent  for  a  space,  as  if  trying  to  digest  this 
strange  information,  and  then  with  some  animation  he 
said: 

''Look  here,  Fred!  The  funniest  part  of  this  whole 
dark  business  was  when  I  had  climbed  up  to  the  top  of  the 
great  bank.  There,  alongside  a  hole  in  the  snow,  lay  our 
telescope.  When  I  put  out  my  hand  to  take  it,  it  rolled 
away  through  the  opening  in  the  snow ;  and  the  Lord  for- 
give me,  fellows,  I  heard  it  ring  on  the  rocks  at  the  bottom 
of  the  Cove." 


KNOWLEDGE  FEOM  ABOVE  203 

With  this  long  speech,  and  without  waiting  for  a  reply, 
Philip  fell  off  into  a  gentle  doze. 

Coleman  and  Bromley,  having  no  doubt  now  that 
Philip's  mind  was  restored,  because  he  seemed  to  have  no 
recollection  of  the  princess  or  of  his  strange  behavior  on 
the  mountain  for  the  year  that  was  past,  were  very  happy 
at  this  change  in  his  condition.  As  to  the  telescope,  they 
regarded  its  fall  as  a  very  dangerous  matter,  and  a  catas- 
trophe which  might  bring  them  some  unwelcome  visitors. 
But,  then,  it  was  possible  that  it  had  fallen  among  inac- 
cessible rocks,  and  would  never  be  found  at  all.  If  any 
one  should  come  to  disturb  them,  they  might  hear  of  some 
unpleasant  facts  of  which  they  would  rather  remain  in  igno- 
rance. Now  that  nearly  five  years  had  passed  since  the 
great  war,  they  thought  that  whoever  came  would  not 
exult  over  them  in  an  unbearable  way,  or  rub  insults  into 
their  wounds.  They  knew  that  some  of  the  mountaineers 
had  been  Union  men ;  and  although  they  would  never  seek 
communication  with  them,  a  connection  formed  against 
their  will  might  result  to  their  advantage.  They  had  a 
good  supply  of  the  double  eagles  left.  Somebody  held 
title  to  the  mountain,  they  knew ;  and  if  the  telescope  did 
bring  them  visitors,  they  could  buy  the  plateau  from  the 
deep  gorge  up,  and  pay  in  gold  for  it  handsomely,  too. 
Then  they  could  send  down  their  measures  to  a  tailor  and 
have  new  uniforms  made  to  the  buttons  they  had  saved— 
that  is,  if  the  tailor  was  not  a  secessionist  too  hot-headed 
to  soil  his  hands  with  the  uniform  of  the  old,  mutilated, 
and  disgraced  Union.     Then,  too,  they  could  buy  seeds 


204  THE  LAST   THEEE  SOLDIEES 

and  books  and  a  great  many  comforts  to  make  their  lives 
more  enjoyable  on  the  mountain. 

And  so  it  came  about  that,  when  month  after  month 
passed  and  nobody  came,  the  three  soldiers  were  rather 
disappointed.  They  resolved  to  save  what  remained  of 
their  minted  and  milled  coins  against  any  unforeseen 
chance  they  might  have  to  put  them  in  circulation ;  and 
now  that  they  thought  of  it,  it  would  have  been  much 
wiser  to  have  melted  the  coins  of  the  United  States  and 
saved  the  English  guineas.  If,  however,  the  world  had 
not  changed  greatly  since  they  left  it,  they  believed  the 
natives  in  the  valley  below  would  accept  good  red  gold  if 
the  face  of  the  old  boy  himself  was  stamped  on  the  coin. 

When  Philip  was  quite  himself  again,  by  reason  of  his 
knowledge  of  milling  he  took  entire  control  of  the  golden 
mill.  In  the  cold  weather  his  old  overcoat  was  dusty  with 
meal,  as  a  miller's  should  be;  and  in  the  summer  days 
plenty  of  the  yellow  dust  clung  to  the  hairs  on  his  arms 
and  in  his  thin  red  beard. 

It  is  a  Sunday  morning  in  September  again,  and,  to  be 
exact  with  the  date,— for  it  was  a  very  important  one  in 
their  history,— it  is  the  fifth  day  of  the  month  in  the  year 
70.  The  three  soldiers  are  standing  together  by  the  door 
of  the  mill,  dressed  very  much  as  we  last  saw  them  there, 
and  engaged  in  an  animated  conversation. 

"An  egg,"  said  Lieutenant  Coleman,  facing  his  two 
comrades,  and  crossing  his  hands  unconsciously  over  the 
great  *'A"  on  the  back  of  his  canvas  trousers,  ''as  an 
article  of  food  may  be  considered  as  the  connecting-link 


KNOWLEDGE  FROM  ABOVE  205 

between  the  animal  and  the  vegetable.  If  we  had  to  kill 
the  hen  to  get  the  egg,  I  should  consider  it  a  sin  to  eat  it. 
What  we  have  to  do,  and  that  right  briskly,  is  to  eat  the 
eggs  to  prevent  the  hens  from  increasing  until  they  are 
numerous  enough  to  devour  every  green  thing  on  the 
mountain." 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,"  said  PhOip,  toying  with  his 
one  dusty  suspender ;  "  we  could  feed  the  eggs  to  the  bear." 

"  We  could,  but  we  won't,"  said  Bromley,  shaking  some 
crumbs  from  the  front  of  his  gown.  ''When  nature 
prompts  a  hen  to  cackle,  do  you  think  we  are  expected  to 
look  the  other  way  ?  Why,  Philip,  you  will  be  going  back 
on  honey  next  because  bees  make  it.  We  are  vegetarians 
because  we  no  longer  think  it  right  to  destroy  animal  life. 
We  not  only  think  it  wrong  to  destroy,  but  we  believe 
it  to  be  our  duty  to  preserve  it  wherever  we  find  it.  Don't 
we  spread  corn  on  the  snow  in  the  winter  for  the  coons 
and  squirrels?  Come,  now!  We  are  not  vegetarians 
at  all.  We  are  simply  unwilling  to  take  life,  which  leaves 
us  to  choose  between  vegetable  diet  and  starvation.  Now, 
then,"  said  Bromley,  spreading  out  his  bare  arms  and 
shrugging  his  shoulders,  "  of  the  two,  I  choose  a  vegetable 
diet ;  but  if  I  could  eat  half  a  broiled  chicken  without  in- 
jury to  the  bird,  I  'd  do  it.  That 's  the  sort  of  vegetarian 
I  am." 

"  Nonsense !  "  said  Philip.  ''  You  're  a  dabster  at  split- 
ting hairs,  you  are.  It  was  uphill  work  making  a  vegeta- 
rian of  you,  George ;  but  we  have  got  you  there  at  last, 
and  you  can't  squirm  out  of  it." 


206  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

"  Give  it  to  him,  Phil !  "  cried  Coleman.  *'  Hit  him  on 
the  salt ! " 

"  Exactly !  "  continued  Philip,  taking  a  swallow  of  water 
from  a  golden  cup,  and  addressing  himself  to  Bromley. 
'^  When  the  salt  was  gone  you  thought  you  'd  never  enjoy 
another  meal,  did  n't  you  ?— and  how  is  it  now  ?  You  are 
honest  enough  to  admit  that  you  never  knew  what  a  keen 
razor-edge  taste  was  before.  I  '11  bet  you  a  quart  of 
double  eagles,  George,  that  you  get  more  flavor  out  of  a 
dish  of  common—" 

At  that  moment  a  bag  of  sand  came  through  the 
branches  of  the  tree  which  shaded  the  three  soldiers  as 
they  talked.  There  was  a  dark  shadow  moving  over  the 
sunlit  ground,  and  a  rushing  sound  in  the  air  above. 
Their  own  conversation,  and  the  noise  of  the  water  pour- 
ing from  the  trough  over  the  idle  wheel  and  splashing  on 
the  stones,  must  have  prevented  their  hearing  human 
voices  close  at  hand.  Rushing  out  from  under  the  trees, 
they  saw  a  huge  balloon  sweeping  over  their  heads.  The 
enormous  bag  of  silk,  swaying  and  pulsating  in  the  meshes 
of  the  netting,  was  a  hundred  feet  above  the  plateau ;  but 
the  willow  basket,  in  which  two  men  and  one  woman  were 
seated,  was  not  more  than  half  that  distance  from  the 
ground.  The  surprise,  the  whistling  of  the  monster 
through  the  air,  the  snapping  and  rending  of  the  drag- 
rope  with  its  iron  hook,  which  was  tearing  up  the  turf, 
and  which  in  an  instant  more  scattered  the  shingles  on 
the  roof  of  their  house  like  chaff,  and  carried  off  some  of 
their  bedding  which  was  airing  there— all  these  things 


'KUSHISG  OCT  FROM  UNDER  THE  TREES,  THEY  SAW  A  HUGE   BALLOON 
SWEEPING  OVER  THEIR  HEADS." 


KNOWLEDGE  FROM  ABOVE  209 

were  so  startling,  and  came  upon  them  so  suddenly,  that 
they  had  but  short  opportunity  to  observe  the  human 
beings  who  came  so  near  them. 

Brief  as  the  time  was,  the  faces  of  the  three  strangers 
were  indelibly  impressed  upon  their  memory,  and  no  por- 
tion of  their  dress  seen  above  the  rim  of  the  basket  escaped 
their  observation.  The  woman,  who  appeared  to  be  per- 
fectly calm  and  self-possessed,  kissed  her  hand  with  a 
smile  so  enchanting,  lighting  a  face  which  seemed  to  the 
soldiers  to  be  a  face  of  such  angehc  beauty,  that  they  half 
doubted  if  she  could  really  belong  to  the  race  of  earthly 
women  they  had  once  known  so  intimately.  The  men 
were  not  in  like  manner  attractive  to  their  eyes,  but 
seemed  to  be  of  that  oily-haired,  waxy-mustached,  be- 
ringed,  and  professorish  variety  which  suggested  to  them 
chiropodists  or  small  theatrical  managers. 

Notwithstanding  the  rushing  and  creaking  of  the  cor- 
dage, the  voices  of  the  men  in  the  balloon  had  that  peculiar 
quality  of  distinctness  that  sound  has  on  a  lowery  morn- 
ing before  a  storm.  Indeed,  each  voice  above  them  had  a 
vibration  of  its  own  which  enabled  the  soldiers  to  hear  all 
commingled  and  yet  to  hear  each  separately  and  distinctly. 
The  hurried  orders  for  the  management  of  the  balloon 
were  given  in  subdued  tones,  and  uttered  with  less  excite- 
ment than  might  have  been  expected  in  the  circumstances, 
yet  the  words  came  to  the  earth  with  startling  distinctness. 

When  they  saw  the  soldiers,  the  taller  of  the  men,  who 
wore  the  larger  diamond  in  his  shirt-front,  put  his  hand  to 
his  mouth  and  cried  in  deafening  tones : 


210  THE  LAST  THEEE  SOLDIERS 

" '  Skylark/  from  Charleston,  3 :  30  yesterday." 

At  the  same  time  the  beautiful  lady,  laying  her  hand  on 
her  breast  as  if  to  indicate  hei*self ,  uttered  the  words : 

' '  New  York !     New  York !  " 

Even  while  they  spoke,  their  voices  grew  softer  as  the 
balloon  sped  on,  the  great  gas-bag  inchned  forward  by  the 
action  of  the  drag-rope,  and  its  shadow  flying  beneath  it 
over  the  surface  of  the  plateau.  As  soon  as  the  two  pro- 
fessors saw  the  danger  which  threatened  the  log  house, 
they  began  to  throw  out  sand-bags  from  the  car,  and  the 
lady  clung  with  both  hands  to  the  guy-ropes.  It  was  too 
late,  however,  to  prevent  the  contact,  and  the  lurch  given 
to  the  basket  by  the  momentary  hold  which  the  grappling- 
hook  took  in  the  roof  of  the  house  threw  several  objects 
to  the  ground,  and  on  its  release  the  balloon  rose  higher 
in  the  air,  having  a  *'  U.  S."  blanket  streaming  back  from 
the  end  of  the  drag-rope.  The  property  they  were  bearing 
away  was  seen  by  the  men  in  the  car,  and  the  rope  was 
taken  in  with  aU  speed ;  but  a  fresh  breeze  having  set  in 
from  the  east,  the  baUoon  was  swept  rapidly  along,  so  that 
it  was  weU  beyond  the  plateau  when  the  blanket  fluttered 
loose  from  the  hook. 

The  soldiers  ran  after  it  with  outstretched  arms  until 
they  came  to  the  edge  of  the  great  boulder,  where  they 
saw  their  good  woolen  blanket  again,  still  drifting  down- 
ward with  funny  antics  through  the  air,  until  it  fell  noise- 
lessly at  the  very  door  of  the  Cove  postmaster. 

The  balloon  itself  was  by  this  time  soaring  above  the 
mountains  beyond  the  Cove,  and  they  kept  their  eyes  on 


KNOWLEDGE  FROM  ABOVE  211 

the  receding  ball  until  it  was  only  a  speck  among  the 
clouds  and  then  vanished  altogether  into  the  pale  blue  of 
the  horizon. 

The  soldiers  had  not  seen  the  objects  tumble  out  of  the 
car  when  the  drag-rope  caught  in  the  shingles  of  their 
house,  and  the  thoughts  of  their  wrecked  roof  and  lost 
blanket  had  the  power  for  the  moment  to  displace  even  the 
image  of  the  beautiful  lady,  whom  they  could  never,  never 
forget.  The  passage  of  the  balloon  had  at  first  dazed  and 
awed,  and  then  charmed  and  bewildered  them,  leaving 
them  in  a  state  of  trembling  excitement  impossible  for  the 
reader  to  conceive  of. 

They  no  longer  had  the  telescope  with  which  to  observe 
the  surprise  of  the  Cove  postmaster  when  he  found  the 
gray  blanket  with  "  U.  S."  in  the  center ;  but  they  had 
the  presence  of  mind  to  get  behind  trees,  where  they 
waited  until  he  came  out.  He  looked  very  small  in  the 
distance  when  he  came  at  last,  but  they  could  see  that  the 
object  was  a  man.  It  was  evident,  from  his  not  having 
been  out  before,  that  he  had  not  seen  the  balloon  pass 
over.  He  seemed  to  stoop  down  and  raise  the  blanket,  and 
then  to  drop  it  and  stand  erect,  and  by  a  tiny  flash  of  light 
which  each  of  the  soldiers  saw  and  knew  must  be  the  re- 
flection of  the  sun  on  his  spectacles,  they  were  sure  he  was 
looking  at  the  top  of  the  mountain  and  thinking  of  the 
east  wind.  There  was  no  help  for  it ;  and  when  he  disap- 
peared into  the  office  with  their  blanket,  they  chinked  the 
gold  in  their  pockets ;  for  they  carried  coin  with  them  now, 
and  thought  that  an  opportunity  might  soon  come  for 


212  THE  LAST  THREE   SOLDIERS 

them  to  spend  it.  As  they  moved  away  in  the  direction 
of  the  house,  they  were  sorry  that  the  drag-rope  of  the 
balloon  had  not  fastened  its  hook  in  the  plateau ;  for  they 
believed  they  were  rich  enough  to  buy  the  coats  off  the 
backs  of  the  two  men,  and  the  diamonds  in  their  shirt- 
fronts  if  they  had  cared  for  them. 

As  the  three  soldiers  neared  the  house,  they  began  pick- 
ing up  the  sand-bags,  stenciled  "  Skylark,  1870."  Philip, 
who  was  in  the  advance,  had  secured  three,  wliich  he  sud- 
denly threw  down  into  the  grass  with  a  cry  of  joy ;  for  at 
their  feet  lay  a  book  with  an  embellished  green  cover. 
The  three  were  almost  as  much  excited  as  they  had 
been  when  they  discovered  the  contents  of  the  keg  which 
they  had  dug  out  of  the  grave  of  the  old  man  of  the 
mountain,  and  instantly  had  their  heads  together,  believ- 
ing that  the}'^  were  about  to  learn  something  of  the  condi- 
tion of  the  old  United  States,  and  even  fearing  they  might 
read  that  they  no  longer  existed  at  all.  They  were  so 
nervous  that  they  fumbled  at  the  covers  and  hindered  one 
another ;  and  between  them,  in  their  haste,  they  dropped  it 
on  the  ground.  When  they  had  secured  it  again  and  got 
their  six  eyes  on  the  title-page,  imagine  their  surprise  and 
disgust  when  they  read,  "A  Treatise  on  Deep-Sea  Fishing  " ! 

"  Bother  deep-sea  fishing !  "  exclaimed  Philip. 

"  Hum  !  "  said  Coleman, ''  it  will  work  up  into  paper  for 
the  diary." 

Bromley  said  nothing,  but  looked  more  disgusted  than 
either  of  his  comrades,  and  gave  the  book,  which  they  had 
dropped  again,  a  kick  with  his  foot. 


KNOWLEDGE  FROM  ABOVE  213 

Their  disappointment  was  somewhat  relieved  presently, 
for  in  the  chips  by  the  door  of  the  house  they  found  a 
small  hand-bag  of  alligator  leather  marked  with  three  sil- 
ver letters,  ''  E.  Q.  R."  The  key  Avas  attached  to  the  lock 
by  a  ribbon;  and  as  soon  as  the  bag  could  be  opened, 
Coleman  seized  upon  another  small  book  which  was  called 
"The  Luck  of  Roaring  Camp."  The  author  was  one 
Francis  Bret  Harte,  of  whom  they  had  never  heard  be- 
fore. The  book  was  a  new  one,  for  it  bore  "  1870  "  on  the 
title-page,  and  the  leaves  were  uncut  except  at  a  particu- 
lar story  entitled  "  Higgles." 

Besides  this  book  the  bag  contained  numerous  little 
trinkets,  among  which  the  most  useful  article  was  a  pair 
of  scissors.  They  found  three  dainty  linen  handkerchiefs 
with  monograms,  a  cut-glass  vinaigrette  containing  salts 
of  ammonia,  a  rag  of  chamois-skin  dusty  with  a  white 
powder,  a  tooth-brush,  and  a  box  of  the  tooth-powder 
aforesaid,  a  brush  and  comb,  a  box  of  bonbons,  a  pair  of 
tan-colored  gloves,  a  button-hook,  and  an  opened  letter  ad- 
dressed to  Elizabeth  Q.  Rose,  No.  165  West  130th  street, 
New  York  city. 

The  letter  bore  the  postmark,  ''  Liverpool,  August  12," 
and  was  stamped  at  the  New  York  office,  "August  20, 8  p.  m." 
Here  was  evidence  of  progress.  Mght  days  from  Liverpool 
to  New  Yorlc! 

The  envelop  had  been  torn  off  at  the  lower  right-hand 
corner  in  opening,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  tell  whether 
the  letters  "  U.  S."  or  "  C.  S."  had  been  written  below  "  New 
York."    The  soldiers  cut  the  leaves  of  the  book,  and 


214  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

glanced  Imrriedly  over  the  pages  without  finding  anything 
to  clear  up  the  mystery  which  interested  them  most.  They 
sat  down  on  the  woodpile,  sorely  disappointed,  to  talk 
over  the  events  of  the  morning ;  and  presently  they  began 
clipping  off  their  long  beards  with  the  scissors,  and  using 
the  brush  and  comb,  to  which  their  heads  had  so  long  been 
strangers.  The  experience  was  all  so  strange  that  but  for 
the  treasures  left  behind,  not  counting  the  '^  Treatise  on 
Deep-Sea  Fishing,'^  they  might  have  doubted  the  reality 
of  the  passage  of  their  aerial  visitor. 

When  it  came  to  a  division  of  the  trifles  of  a  lady's 
toilet,  the  well-known  prejudice  of  the  world  below  con- 
cerning a  second-hand  tooth-brush  was  cast  to  the  winds 
by  Bromley,  while  Lieutenant  Coleman,  who  had  some 
qualms  of  conscience,  was  better  satisfied  with  the  rag  of 
chamois-skin  for  the  same  purpose.  The  vinaigrette  and 
the  gloves  fell  to  Philip.  They  had  just  a  handkerchief 
apiece,  and  nobody  cared  for  the  button-hook. 

The  letter  found  in  the  bag  was  a  subject  of  heated  dis- 
cussion, and  from  motives  of  chivalrous  delicacy  remained 
for  a  long  time  unread.  George  Bromley  contended 
that  its  contents  might  throw  some  hght  on  the  subject 
which  the  books  had  left  in  obscurity,  while  Lieutenant 
Coleman  shrank  from  offering  such  an  indignity  to  the 
memory  of  the  angelic  lady  of  the  air.  It  was  finally 
agreed  that  Bromley  might  examine  and  then  destroy  it. 
Lieutenant  Coleman  dechning  to  be  made  acquainted  with 
its  contents. 

They  never  quite  understood  the  association  of  the 


KNOWLEDGE  FROM  ABOVE  215 

beautiful  lady  with  the  two  men,  of  whom  they  had  but 
a  poor  opinion.  When  Bromley  suggested  that  to  their 
starved  eyes  a  cook  might  seem  a  princess,  his  comrades 
were  sufficiently  indignant,  and  reminded  him  of  her  lit- 
erary taste,  as  shown  by  the  quality  of  the  new  book  found 
in  the  bag. 

After  all,  they  had  learned  nothing  of  the  great  secret 
that  vexed  their  lives.  Was  there  still  in  existence  a  starry 
flag  bearing  any  semblance  to  this  one  which  was  now 
floating  over  the  mountain  ?  Was  it  stiU  loved  in  the  land 
and  respected  on  the  sea  ? 

To  men  who  had  seen  it  bent  forward  under  the  eagles 
of  the  old  republic,  gray  in  the  stifling  powder-clouds,  fall- 
ing and  rising  in  the  storm  of  battle,  a  pale  ghost  of  a  flag, 
fluttering  colorless  on  the  plain  or  climbing  the  stubborn 
mountain,  human  lives  falling  like  leaves  for  its  uphold- 
ing—this was  the  burning  question. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE    CAVE    OF    THE    BATS 

■HEN  the  nine  small  gunny-sacks  stenciled  "  Sky- 
lark, 1870,"  were  emptied  on  the  floor  of  the 
house,  the  Crustacea  of  the  Atlantic's  sands  had 
found  a  resting-place  on  the  summit  of  White- 
side Mountain,  and  might  yet  furnish  evidence  to  some 
grave  scientist  of  the  future  to  prove  beyond  a  doubt  that 
the  sea  at  no  very  remote  period  had  surged  above  the 
peaks  of  the  Blue  Ridge.  Starfish,  shells,  and  bones,  and 
fragments  of  the  legs  of  spider-crabs,  horseshoe-crabs,  and 
crayfish,  and  some  very  active  sand-fleas  afforded  much 
scientific  amusement  to  our  exiles,  and  brought  vividly  to 
mind  the  boom  of  the  sea  and  the  whitebait  and  whales 
that  wiggle-waggle  in  its  depth. 

Neither  the  telescope  nor  the  army  blanket  with  "  U.  S." 
in  the  center,  nor  the  two  combined,  had  brought  any 
visitors  to  the  three  soldiers,  nor  any  information  of  the 
real  state  of  affairs  in  the  United  States,  which  would 
quickly  have  terminated  their  exile. 

The  very  pathetic  and  amusing  volume  of  stories  found 

216 


THE   CAVE   OF   THE   BATS  217 

in  the  alligator-skin  bag  caused  more  tears  and  healthy- 
laughter  than  the  soldiers  had  given  way  to  since  their 
great  disappointment,  and  actually  brought  about  such 
neglect  of  the  October  work  on  the  plantation  that  more 
than  half  the  potato  crop  rotted  in  the  ground. 

On  the  21st  of  that  month  in  this  very  balloon  year,  the 
area  of  Sherman  Territory  was  extended  by  the  addition 
of  half  an  acre  of  rocks  and  brambles  on  the  boulder  side 
of  the  mountain,  and  afterward  of  much  more,  as  will  be 
shown  in  due  time. 

The  twenty-first  day  of  October  in  the  year  '70,  then, 
was  a  lowery  day.  A  strong,  humid  wind  was  blowing 
steadily  across  the  mountain  and  soughing  in  the  boughs 
of  the  pines,  while  the  low  clouds,  westward  bound,  flew 
in  ragged  rifts  overhead.  It  was  a  pleasant  wind  to  feel, 
and  the  rising  and  falling  cadence  of  its  song  reminded 
the  soldiers  of  a  wind  from  the  sea.  In  the  successive 
seasons  they  had  gleaned  the  grove  so  thoroughly,  even 
cutting  the  dry  Umbs  from  the  trees,  that  they  were  now 
obliged  to  search  under  the  carpet  of  needles  for  the  fat 
pine-knots  which  formerly  lay  in  abundance  on  the  sur- 
face. 

At  the  extreme  southern  end  of  the  tongue  of  land  on 
which  the  pines  grew,  a  soHtary  stump  clung  in  the  base 
of  the  cliff.  The  outer  fiber  of  the  wood  had  crumbled 
away,  leaving  the  resinous  heart  and  the  tough  roots  firmly 
bedded  in  the  soil.  They  had  been  chopping  and  digging 
for  an  hour  before  they  loosened  and  removed  the  cen- 
tral mass.     Continuing  their  quest  for  one  of  the  great 


218  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIEES 

roots  which  ran  into  the  earth  under  the  chff,  George 
dealt  a  vigorous  stroke  on  the  rotten  stone  and  earth  be- 
hind, which  yielded  so  unexpectedly  that  he  lost  his  foot- 
ing, and  at  the  same  time  his  hold  on  the  ax,  which 
promptly  disappeared  into  the  bowels  of  the  earth.  They 
heard  it  ring  upon  the  rocks  below  with  strange  echoes, 
as  if  it  had  fallen  into  a  subterraneous  cavern.  At  the 
same  time  the  wind  rushed  through  the  opening  in  a 
current  warmer  than  the  surrounding  atmosphere,  and 
brought  with  it  a  strong,  offensive  smell,  as  if  they  had 
entered  a  menagerie  in  August.  As  soon  as  the  soldiers 
recovered  from  their  surprise  they  set  vigorously  to  work 
for  the  recovery  of  the  ax,  attacking  the  loose  earth  with 
their  gold-tipped  shovel  and  with  the  tough  oaken  hand- 
spike with  which  they  had  been  prying  at  the  stump. 
Their  efforts  rapidly  enlarged  the  opening,  and  presently 
the  great  root  itself  tumbled  in  after  the  ax.  Pliilip  ran 
to  the  house  for  a  light,  and  by  the  time  he  returned  with 
a  blazing  torch,  Coleman  and  Bromley  had  enlarged  the 
opening  under  the  cliff  until  it  was  wide  enough  to  admit 
their  bodies  easily.  All  was  darkness,  even  blackness, 
within,  and  the  rank  animal  smeU  was  as  offensive  as  ever, 
so  that  Philip  held  his  nose  in  disgust. 

By  passing  the  torch  into  the  opening  of  the  cavern 
they  could  see  the  ax  lying  on  the  earthen  floor  ten  feet 
below,  and  to  the  right  the  overlapping  strata  of  gi-anite 
seemed  to  offer  a  rude  stairway  for  their  descent.  George 
entered  at  once,  with  the  torch  in  one  hand,  and  in  the 
other  the  handspike  with  which  to  test  his  footing  in  ad- 


THE  CAVE  OF   THE  BATS  219 

vance.  In  another  moment  he  stood  on  the  hard  floor 
by  the  ax.  and  the  light  of  his  torch  revealed  the  rocky 
sides  of  the  cavern  stretching  away  to  the  south  along  the 
side  of  the  mountain.  Coleman  provided  himself  with  one  of 
the  fattest  of  the  pine-knots,  and  descended  into  the  cavern 
after  Bromley.  With  some  hesitation  Philip  followed. 

The  resinous  smoke  of  the  torches  relieved  the  subter- 
raneous atmosphere  somewhat  of  its  offensive  animal  odor, 
and  the  flames  flooded  the  walls  and  ceiling  with  light. 
Their  voices,  calling  to  each  other  as  they  advanced, 
sounded  abnormally  loud,  and  seemed  to  fill  the  space 
about  them  with  a  cavernous  ring  in  which  they  detected 
no  side  echoes  which  would  indicate  lateral  chambers 
branching  off  from  the  main  passage.  By  the  current  of 
air  flaring  the  torches  back  toward  the  opening  they  had 
made,  they  knew  that  the  passage  itself  must  be  open  to 
the  day  at  its  other  end.  The  roof  seemed  to  be  about 
eight  feet  above  their  heads,  although  at  times  it  drew 
nearer,  and  occasionally  it  retired  to  a  greater  altitude, 
but  never  beyond  the  searching  illumination  of  their 
torches. 

Presently,  as  they  advanced,  their  attention  was  drawn 
to  brown  masses  of  something  like  fungi  clinging  to  the 
rock  overhead,  but  partaking  so  closely  of  the  color  and 
texture  of  the  stone  that  they  seemed,  after  all,  to  be  but 
flinty  lumps  on  the  roof.  As  Bromley,  who  was  in  front, 
came  to  a  point  where  the  ceihng  hung  so  low  as  to  be 
within  reach,  he  swept  the  flame  of  his  torch  across  one 
of  these  brown  patches,  and  straightway  the  stifling  air 


220  THE  LAST  THREE   SOLDIERS 

was  filled  with  a  squeaking,  unearthly  chorus,  and  with 
the  beating  of  innumerable  wings.  Scorched  by  the  flame 
and  blinded  by  the  Hght,  many  of  these  disabled  creatm-es, 
which  proved  to  be  a  colony  of  bats,  fluttered  to  the  floor, 
and  dashed  against  the  bare  feet  of  the  soldiers  with  a 
clammy  touch  that  made  the  cold  chills  rise  in  their  hair. 

This  was  too  much  for  Philip,  who  turned  back  to  join 
Tumbler  in  the  open  air  at  the  mouth  of  the  cavern.  At 
the  same  time,  however,  the  offensive  odor  was  accounted 
for,  and  Bromley  and  Coleman  had  no  further  fear  of  meet- 
ing larger  animals  as  they  advanced.  As  a  lover  of  ani- 
mals, George  was  shocked  at  the  cruel  consequences  of  his 
rash  action;  as  a  bold  explorer,  however,  he  pushed  on 
into  the  gruesome  darkness  at  a  pace  that  soon  left  Cole- 
man's prudent  feet  far  behind.  The  latter  had  a  wholesome 
fear  of  treading  on  some  yielding  crust  which  might  pre- 
cipitate him  to  other  and  more  terrible  depths. 

The  way  seemed  to  turn  spmewhat  as  they  advanced ; 
for  at  times  the  light  of  George's  torch  vanished  behind, 
the  projection  of  one  or  the  other  wall,  and  at  such  times 
Coleman  called  eagerly  to  him  to  wait.  Bromley's  cheery 
voice,  evidently  advancing,  came  ringing  back  so  distinct^ 
that  his  companion  was  reassured  by  his  seeming  near- 
ness. Once,  when  the  darkness  had  continued  for  a  long 
time  in  front,  Coleman  began  to  be  alarmed  at  the  thought 
that  Bromley's  torch  must  have  gone  out,  and  then  the 
fear  that  he  might  have  fallen  into  some  fissui'e  in  the 
rocks  made  him  cold  about  the  heart. 

Lieutenant  Coleman  was  now  picking  his  way  more 


'BErOXD  THE  ILLUMINATION   OF  HIS  TOKCH  HE  SAW 
TWO  GLEAMING  EYES." 


THE  CAVE  OF  THE  BATS  223 

gingerly  than  ever,  and  holding  his  Kght  high  above  his 
head,  when,  to  add  to  his  terror,  he  thought  he  heard  some- 
thing approaching  behind  him.  Sure  enough,  when  he 
turned  about,  in  the  darkness  of  the  cavern  just  beyond 
the  illumination  of  his  torch  he  saw  two  gleaming  eyes. 
The  eyes  were  fixed  upon  him,  and  the  head  of  the  animal 
moved  from  side  to  side,  but  came  no  nearer.  He  would 
have  given  worlds  for  the  carbine.  His  blood  ran  cold  in 
his  veins  at  the  thought  of  his  terrible  situation.  He  was 
utterly  helpless,  hemmed  in  by  the  rocks.  It  was  impos- 
sible to  go  back.  He  could  only  go  forward.  He  remem- 
bered then  that  the  fiercest  of  wild  animals,  even  lions 
and  tigers,  kept  back  in  the  darkness  and  glared  all  night 
with  their  hungry  eyes  at  the  fires  of  hunters.  He  was 
safe,  then,  to  go  on,  but  a  dreadful  conflict  was  in  store 
for  the  two  men  if  the  animal  should  follow  them  out  of 
the  cavern. 

Bromley's  torch  now  reappeared  in  the  distance.  Cole- 
man was  too  terrified  to  call,  but  instead  moved  on  in 
silence,  occasionally  flaring  his  torch  behind  liim,  and  al- 
ways seeing  the  gleaming  eyes  when  he  looked  back.  Try 
as  he  would,  he  could  get  no  farther  from  them.  There 
were  occasional  stumbling-blocks  in  the  way,  and  once  or 
twice  he  encountered  rocks  which  he  was  obliged  to  pass 
around.  Whenever  Coleman  turned  and  waved  the  torch, 
the  animal  whined  as  if  he  too  were  in  fear. 

Terrified  as  Lieutenant  Coleman  was,  he  could  not  help 
noticing  that  the  brown  colonies  of  bats  now  appeared 
more  frequently  on  the  stone  ceiling,  and  presently  the 


224  THE  LAST  THEEE  SOLDIERS 

air  grew  perceptibly  fresher  as  he  advanced.  He  began 
to  realize  the  presence  of  a  gray  light  apart  from  that  of 
his  torch ;  and  finally  coming  sharply  around  a  projecting 
rock,  he  saw  the  welcome  light  of  day  streaming  in  through 
a  wide  opening  in  the  rocks,  and  at  one  side,  thrust  into  a 
crevice,George's  torch  was  flaring  and  smoking  in  the  wind. 
Coleman  placed  his  torch  with  the  other,  hoping  that  the 
lights  would  continue  to  protect  them  from  the  animal, 
and  then  he  sprang  out  of  the  cavern  into  the  sweet  open 
air,  with  that  joyous  feeling  of  relief  which  can  be  under- 
stood only  by  one  who  has  passed  through  a  similar 
experience. 

George  was  standing  in  the  dry  grass,  with  a  great  stone 
in  each  hand,  as  if  he  already  knew  their  danger  and  was 
prepared ;  but  when  Coleman  told  him  in  hurried  words 
what  they  had  to  expect,  he  dropped  the  stones,  and  they 
began  to  look  about  for  a  place  of  safety.  It  was  not  far 
to  a  high  rock  upon  which  they  both  scrambled,  and  then 
Bromley  let  himself  down  again,  and  passed  up  a  number 
of  angular  stones  for  ammunition.  Whatever  the  myste- 
rious beast  might  be,  they  could  keep  him  off  from  the 
rock  for  a  time,  but  they  were  not  prepared  for  a  siege. 
They  had  little  to  say  to  each  other,  and  that  in  whispers, 
as  they  strained  their  eyes  to  look  into  the  entrance  to  the 
cavern.  Bromley,  however,  was  softly  humming  a  tune, 
and  just  as  Coleman  looked  up  at  him  in  astonishment  he 
dropped  the  stones  from  his  hands  and  burst  into  laughter ; 
and  sure  enough,  there  in  the  mouth  of  the  cavern  stood 
their  tame  bear.  Tumbler,  wagging  his  head  from  side  to 


THE  CAVE  OF  THE  BATS  225 

side  just  as  Coleman  had  seen  the  mysterious  eyes  move  in 
the  darkness,  and,  moreover,  he  was  still  licking  his  chops 
after  the  feast  he  had  made  on  the  bats. 

Lieutenant  Coleman  had  been  so  alarmed  at  first,  and 
then  so  gratified  at  the  happy  outcome  of  his  adventure, 
that  he  had  not  noticed  the  character  of  the  stones  which 
Bromley  had  been  handling.  It  was  not  until  his  atten- 
tion was  caUed  to  a  flake  of  mica  that  he  looked  about  him 
on  the  ground,  to  see  everywhere  blocks  and  flakes  of  what 
is  commonly  caUed  isinglass.  They  could  have  something 
better  than  wooden  shutters  for  their  windows  now. 

By  a  certain  gnai'led  chestnut  which  overhung  the  cliff 
above  them,  growing  out  of  the  hill  near  the  spring,  they 
estimated  the  length  of  the  subterraneous  passage  to  be 
not  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  The  sun,  which  had 
broken  through  the  clouds,  indicated  by  the  angle  of  his 
rays  that  the  afternoon  was  well  past.  They  now  thought 
it  advisable  to  retrace  their  steps  through  the  unsavory 
cavern.  In  view  of  the  stifling  passage,  Coleman  inhaled 
deep  drafts  of  the  sweet  outer  air,  and  shuddered  in- 
voluntarily at  the  necessity  of  repeating  the  experience, 
even  when  he  knew  the  animal  now  following  him  was 
only  stupid  old  Tumbler.  George  handed  him  a  piece  of 
the  mica  to  carry,  and  his  careless,  happy  mood  indicated 
that  he  returned  to  the  subterraneous  passage  as  gaily  as 
if  it  were  a  pleasant  walk  overland.  As  they  drew  near 
the  entrance  to  the  cavern,  with  the  bear  shambling  at 
their  heels,  an  indefinable  dread  of  trouble  ahead  took 
possession  of  Coleman.    It  might  have  been  the  absence  of 


226  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

the  resinous  smell  of  the  torches.  At  all  events,  they  were 
presently  standing  in  the  gruesome  half-light  before  the 
empty  crevice,  through  which  they  could  see  their  pine- 
knots  still  burning  fifty  feet  below  in  an  inner  cavern. 
As  their  torches  had  burned  to  the  edge  of  the  rock  they  had 
fallen  through  the  opening.  They  were  without  fire,  and  if 
they  should  succeed  in  striking  it  with  their  flints,  they  had 
no  means  of  carrying  it  a  hundred  yards  into  the  darkness. 

The  situation  was  frightful.  Outside,  the  perpendicular 
cliff  rose  a  matter  of  sixty  feet  to  the  overhanging  trees 
of  the  plateau,  and  close  to  the  south  ledge,  which  towered 
above  it.  The  two  men  and  the  bear  were  prisoners  on 
this  barren  shelf  of  rocks,  with  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of 
subterraneous  darkness  separating  them  from  food  and 
shelter— from  life  itseK.  Was  it  theii*  destiny,  Coleman 
thought,  to  die  of  starvation  among  these  inhospitable 
rocks,  hung  like  a  speck  between  the  plateau  and  the 
valley,  watched  by  the  circling  eagles  and  by  the  patient 
buzzards,  who  would  perch  on  the  nearer  tree-tops  to 
await  their  dissolution  ?  The  very  thought  of  the  situation 
unmanned  him. 

Lieutenant  Coleman  was  not  a  man  to  shrink  from  ene- 
mies whom  he  could  see ;  but  the  darkness  and  the  dan- 
gers of  the  half-explored  cavern  terrified  him.  Corporal 
Bromley,  on  the  other  hand,  was  only  made  angry  by  the 
loss  of  the  torches ;  and  the  livid  expression  of  his  face 
reminded  his  comrade  of  the  morning  when  they  had 
received  the  news  of  General  Sherman's  death  before  the 
works  at  Atlanta.     In  a  moment,  however,  he  was  calm. 


EXPLOKING  THE  CAVE  OF   TflE  BATS. 


THE  CAVE  OF  THE  BATS  229 

Without  a  word,  he  walked  away  among  the  rocks,  and 
when  he  came  back  he  held  in  his  hands  a  lithe  pole  ten 
or  twelve  feet  long. 

''Not  a  very  interesting  outlook,  Fred,  for  a  man  who 
would  rather  be  eating  his  supper,"  said  George,  trying 
the  strength  of  his  pole;  "but  you  must  be  patient  and 
amuse  yourseK  as  best  you  can." 

Lieutenant  Coleman  stared  at  Bromley  in  speechless 
amazement  as  he  disappeared  into  the  cavern,  carrying  the 
pole  across  his  breast.  It  was  something  less  than  courage— 
it  was  the  utter  absence  of  the  instinct  of  fear  which  the  others 
had  so  often  noticed  in  his  character.  Would  he  succeed  the 
better  for  the  very  want  of  this  quality  with  which  the  All- 
wise  has  armed  animal  life  for  its  protection  ?     Perhaps. 

The  bear  was  snuffing  about  Coleman  as  if  he  were  trying  to 
understand  why  he  remained ;  and  when  he  failed  to  attract 
his  attention,  he  turned  about  and  shambled  after  Bromley. 

Although  Coleman  was  deeply  concerned  by  the  dangers 
which  threatened  his  comrade,  he  reasoned  with  certainty 
that  wherever  Bromley  was,  he  was  as  calm  as  an  oyster, 
regarding  his  progress  as  only  a  question  of  time  and 
some  bruises. 

To  keep  his  mind  away  from  the  cavern,  he  rose  mechan- 
ically, and  began  to  gather  up  the  fragments  of  mica  and 
heap  them  together.  For  an  hour  he  threaded  his  way 
among  the  rocks,  thus  employed.  The  glittering  heap 
grew  larger,  for  the  supply  was  quite  inexhaustible,  and 
he  discovered  fresh  deposits  on  every  hand. 

It  was  now  grown  quite  dark,  and  he  made  his  way  to 


230  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  vainly  hoping  to  see  a  star  ad- 
vancing in  the  darkness,  but  only  to  meet  a  flight  of  bats 
wheeling  out  into  the  night.  Carefully  he  crept  back  and 
seated  himself  on  a  smooth  stone  by  the  side  of  his  store 
of  mica,  and  imagined  himself  a  hunter  in  the  middle  of 
a  trackless  desert,  dying  for  a  drop  of  water  beside  a 
princely  fortune  in  accumulated  elephants'  tusks.  When 
he  looked  up  the  dark  mass  of  the  tree-crowned  cliff  cut 
softly  against  a  lighter  gloom ;  but  when  he  turned  his 
eyes  away  from  the  mountain,  the  sky  or  the  clouds,  or 
whatever  it  might  be,  seemed  to  surround  him  and  press 
upon  him.  Oh,  for  one  star  in  the  distance  to  lift  the  sky 
from  his  head ;  or,  better  yet,  the  calm  face  of  the  moon,  and 
the  touch  of  its  yellow  light  on  tree  and  stone !  Instead 
of  anything  so  cheerful,  a  patter  of  raindrops  met  his  up- 
turned face,  as  if  in  mockery  of  his  wish ;  and  then  the 
rain  increased  to  a  steady  downpour,  beating  from  the 
east,  and  he  knew  the  autumnal  equinox  was  upon  them. 
He  reflected  that  George  might  never  feel  the  rain.  Miser- 
able thought !  What  if  he  were  to  perish  in  the  darkness, 
separated  from  him  and  from  Phihp,  after  having  lived 
so  long  together !  Coleman  might  have  sought  shelter  in 
the  mouth  of  the  cavern;  but  he  was  indifferent  to  the 
rain  falling  on  his  bare  back  and  canvas  trousers. 

How  long  he  had  been  waiting,  two  hours  or  three,  he 
had  no  means  of  telling.  His  watch  had  long  since  ceased 
to  run.  Up  on  the  plateau  they  had  noon-marks  at  the 
house  and  at  the  mill,  and  at  night,  when  it  was  clear, 
they  went  out  and  looked  at  the  seven  stars.     He  was 


THE  CAVE  OF   THE  BATS  231 

thoroughly  drenched  by  the  rain,  which  had  now  been 
falling  for  a  long  time.  Certainly  George  should  have 
returned  before  this,  if  all  had  gone  well  with  him.  And 
then  his  mind  returned  to  the  contemplation  of  that  other 
possibility  with  a  perverseness  over  which  he  could  exer- 
cise no  control.  He  saw  Bromley  lost  in  some  undiscovered 
byway  of  the  subterraneous  passage,  groping  his  way 
hopelessly  into  the  center  of  the  mountain ;  knowing  that 
he  was  lost  when,  go  which  way  he  would,  his  pole  no 
longer  reached  the  walls.  He  saw  him  retracing  his  steps, 
now  going  this  way,  now  that,  but  always  going  he  knew 
not  whither,  too  brave  to  yield  to  despair. 

Then  he  saw  him  in  a  lower  cavern,  where  he  had  fallen 
through  the  floor,  groping  about  the  rough  walls  with 
bleeding  hands  and  staring  eyes,  patiently  searching  for 
a  foothold,  his  indomitable  pluck  never  failing  him.  Hor- 
rible as  these  fancies  were,  others  more  dreadful  oppressed 
his  half -wakeful  mind ;  for  he  was  so  tired  that  in  spite 
of  the  rain  he  lapsed  into  a  state  of  unconsciousness,  in 
which  he  dreamed  that  the  roof  of  that  suffocating  cavern, 
covered  with  the  brown  blotches  of  bats,  was  setthng 
slowly  upon  George,  until  he  could  no  longer  walk  erect. 
Lower,  lower  it  came  in  its  fearful  descent,  until  it  bumped 
his  head  as  he  crawled.  Now  the  roof  grazes  his  back  as 
he  writhes  on  his  belly  like  a  snake. 

''Fred!     Old  boy!     Fred!" 

And  there  stood  Bromley  in  the  flesh,  as  calm  as  if 
nothing  unusual  had  happened,  the  raindrops  hissing  in 
the  flame  of  his  torch. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  STAINED-GLASS    WINDOWS    AND    THE  PRISMATIC  FOWLS 

>  WING  to  the  difficulties  of  the  passage  through 
the  cave  of  the  bats,  and  the  utter  barrenness 
of  the  rocky  half-acre  which  lay  at  its  other 
end,  the  three  soldiers  never  entered  it  again 
during  the  fall  and  winter  which  followed  its  discovery. 
The  two  blocks  of  isinglass  which  they  had  brought  away  on 
their  first  visit  were  ample  for  their  purpose ;  and  as  soon 
as  they  had  secured  their  supply  of  fat  pine-knots  for  light 
in  the  long  winter  evenings,  they  set  about  constructing 
two  windows  to  take  the  place  of  the  sliding  boards  which 
closed  those  openings  in  the  cold,  snowy  days.  It  is  true, 
they  could  not  look  out  through  the  new  windows,  but 
much  light  could  enter  where  all  had  been  darkness  before. 
Time  was  nothing  to  the  soldiers  in  these  late  autumn  days ; 
and,  indeed,  the  more  of  it  they  could  spend  on  any  work 
they  undertook,  the  more  such  work  contributed  to  their 
contentment  and  happiness.  They  wished  to  have  their  win- 
dows ornamental  as  well  as  useful ;  and  it  was  Philip's  sug- 
gestion that  they  should  try  an  imitation  of  stained  glass. 

232 


STAINED-GLASS  WINDOWS  AND  PRISMATIC  FOWLS    233 

They  had  some  of  the  carbine  cartridges  left;  and  as 
they  no  longer  killed  any  creatures,  the  bullets  would 
supply  them  with  lead  to  unite  the  small  pieces  of  isin- 
glass and  outline  theii'  designs.  One  of  the  mica  blocks 
chanced  to  be  of  a  pale-green  color,  and  they  made  many 
experiments  to  produce  reds  and  blues.  Oxid  of  u'on,  or 
the  common  red  iron-rust,  gave  a  rich  carmine  powder, 
which,  mixed  with  the  white  of  an  egg,  adhered  to  the 
inner  side  of  the  small  panes.  They  found  a  few  dried 
huckleberries,  from  which  they  extracted  a  strong  blue  by 
boiling.  They  could  procure  yellow  only  by  beating  a 
small  bit  of  gold  to  the  thinnest  leaf,  which  they  pasted 
upon  the  flake  of  mica.  The  reds  and  blues  as  they  ap- 
plied them  were  only  water-colors ;  but  the  inner  side  of 
the  glass  was  not  exposed  to  the  rain.  After  the  one 
square  window,  which  looked  toward  the  Cove  and  conse- 
quently let  in  the  afternoon  sun,  was  finished  in  a  fantastic 
arrangement  of  the  three  rich  colors,  bordered  by  pale 
green,  it  was  decided,  with  gi-eat  enthusiasm,  to  reproduce 
in  the  opposite  window  their  dear  old  flag  with  its  thirty- 
five  stars.  To  do  this,  they  cut  away  the  logs  on  one  side 
until  they  had  doubled  the  area  of  the  opening.  They 
managed  to  stiffen  the  frame  on  the  inner  side  with  strips 
of  dogwood,  which  made  a  single  cross  against  the  light, 
leaving  the  blue  field  of  stars  unobstructed. 

It  was  a  gi-eat  comfort  to  their  patriotic  hearts  to  see 
the  sun  glowing  on  their  United  States  window  when  they 
awoke  in  the  morning,  or  to  see  the  ruddy  firelight  danc- 
ing on  the  old  flag,  if  one  of  them  came  in  from  the  mill 


234  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

or  the  branch  in  the  evening.  In  fact,  when  this  work  was 
finished,  the  three  soldiers,  wrapped  in  their  faded  blue 
overcoats,  were  never  tired  of  walking  about  outside  their 
house,  in  the  chilly  November  evenings,  to  admu'e  their  first 
art- work  illuminated  by  the  torch-Ught  witliin.  Their  tough, 
bare  feet,  insensible  to  the  sharp  stones  and  the  gray  hoar- 
frost, wore  away  the  withered  grass  opposite  to  each  of  their 
stained-glass  windows ;  but  the  patch  of  trodden  earth  out- 
side the  window  which  showed  the  glowing  stripes  and 
gleaming  stars  of  the  old  flag  was  much  the  larger. 

Otherwise  their  prospects  for  the  winter  were  by  no 
means  as  brilliant  as  thek*  windows ;  for  besides  the  failure 
in  the  potato  crop,  the  white  grubs  had  made  sad  havoc 
with  their  corn  in  two  successive  plantings,  and  the  yield 
in  October  had  been  alarmingly  light.  Even  the  chestnuts 
had  been  subject  to  a  blight ;  and  altogether  it  was  what 
the  farmers  would  call  "  a  bad  year."  The  fowls  had  in- 
creased to  an  alarming  extent,  considering  the  necessity 
of  feeding  so  many,  and  as  winter  approached  their  eggs 
were  fewer  than  ever.  The  case  was  not  so  bad  that  it 
would  be  necessary  to  shorten  their  rations,  as  they  had 
done  before  the  harvest  of  the  first  year ;  but  with  so  many 
mouths  to  feed,  there  was  danger  that  they  would  find 
themselves  without  seed  for  the  next  planting.  Then, 
too,  there  was  a  very  grave  danger  that  before  spring 
these  stubborn  vegetarians  would  be  forced  to  resort  to 
broiled  chicken,  spiced  with  gunpowder,  which  was  nearly 
as  repulsive  to  their  minds  as  leaving  the  mountain  and 
going  down  into  a  triumphant  Confederacy. 


STAINED-GLASS  WINDOWS  AND  PRISMATIC  FOWLS    235 

The  bear,  at  least,  would  require  no  feeding,  and  with 
the  very  first  snow  old  Tumbler  disappeared  as  usual, 
making  the  soldiers  rather  wish  that,  for  this  particular 
winter,  hibernation  could  be  practised  by  human  animals 
as  well  as  by  bears. 

After  Christmas  the  weather  became  unusually  cold, 
and  the  winds  swept  with  terrific  force  across  the  top  of 
the  mountain.  The  snow  was  so  deep  that  the  path  they 
dug  to  the  mm  was  banked  above  their  heads  as  they 
walked  in  it,  and  the  mill  itself  showed  only  its  half -roof 
of  shingles  and  its  long  water-trough  above  the  surface  of 
the  snow.  From  the  trough  huge  icicles  were  pendent, 
and  it  was  ornamented  with  great  curves  of  snow;  and 
when  Philip  set  the  wheels  in  motion,  a  gray  dust  rose 
above  the  bank,  and  the  whii*  of  the  grinding  as  heard  at 
the  house  was  subdued  and  muffled  hke  the  very  ghost  of 
a  sound.  The  soldiers  dug  open  spaces  to  give  light,  out- 
side the  stained-glass  windows,  and  through  these  the 
evening  firelight  repeated  the  gorgeous  colors  on  the 
snow. 

From  the  path  to  the  mill  they  dug  a  branch  to  the 
forge,  and  tunneled  a  passage  to  the  water,  from  which 
they  broke  the  ice  every  day.  Short  as  was  their  supply 
of  corn,  they  were  obliged  to  feed  it  to  the  fowls  with  a 
lavish  hand  as  long  as  the  deep  snow  remained.  This 
necessity  kept  them  busy  shelling  the  ears  by  the  fire  in 
the  warm  house,  after  they  had  brought  them  in  from  the 
mill  or  the  forge,  and  half  a  gunny-sack  of  corn  was  thrown 
out  on  the  snow  at  the  morning  and  evening  feeding. 


236  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIEKS 

Since  the  hut  of  the  old  man  of  the  mountain  had  been 
made  into  a  forge,  the  fowls  had  roosted  in  the  branches 
of  the  old  chestnuts,  and  had  got  on  very  well,  even  in  the 
winters  that  were  past.  With  full  crops,  they  seemed  to 
he  thi'iving  equally  well  during  the  severe  cold  wliich  at- 
tended the  period  of  deep  snow. 

The  15th  of  January  in  the  new  year,  which  was  1871, 
was  the  first  of  a  foui-  days'  thaw.  The  sun  beamed  with 
unusual  heat  on  the  mountain,  and  under  his  rays  the 
snow  rapidly  disappeared,  and  the  ground  came  to  light 
again  with  its  store  of  dry  seeds.  The  three-pronged 
tracks  of  the  fowls  were  printed  everywhere  in  the  soft 
top-soil,  where  they  scampered  about  in  pursuit  of  grubs 
and  worms.  On  the  fourth  day  the  avalanche  fell  from 
the  great  boulder  into  the  Cove,  with  the  usual  midwinter 
crashes  and  reverberations,  which  reminded  Philip  of  his 
narrow  escape  the  winter  before. 

On  the  evening  of  this  fourth  day  the  thaw  was  followed 
by  a  light  rain,  which  froze  as  it  fell,  and  developed  into  a 
regular  ice-storm  during  the  night.  When  the  three 
soldiers  looked  out  on  the  morning  of  the  19th,  they  found 
their  house  coated  with  ice,  and  the  mountain-top  a  scene 
of  ghttering  enchantment.  Every  tree  and  bush  was 
coated  with  a  transparent  armor  of  glass.  The  lithe  hmbs 
of  the  birches  and  young  chestnuts  were  bent  downward 
in  graceful  curves  by  the  weight  of  the  ice,  which,  under 
the  rays  of  the  rising  sun,  glittered  and  scintillated  with 
all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow.  Every  rock  and  stone  had 
its  separate  casing,  and  every  weed  and  blade  of  grass  was 


STAINED-GLASS  WINDOWS  AND  PRISMATIC  FOWLS    237 

stiffened  with  a  tiny  shining  overcoat.  The  stalks  on  the 
plantation  stood  up  like  a  glittering  field  of  pikes. 

Despite  the  difficulty  of  walking  over  the  uneven  ground 
and  the  slippery  rocks,  they  made  their  way,  not  without 
occasional  falls,  to  the  western  side  of  the  plateau  to  ob- 
serve the  effect  in  the  Cove,  Philip  was  in  raptures  over 
the  prismatic  variety  of  colors,  picking  out  and  naming 
the  tints  with  a  childish  glee  and  with  a  subtle  apprecia- 
tion of  color  that  far  outran  the  limited  vision  of  his 
comrades,  and  made  them  think  that  Sherman  Territory 
had  possibly  defrauded  the  world  below  of  a  first-rate 
painter. 

As  they  turned  back  toward  the  house,  after  their  first 
outburst  of  enthusiasm  over  the  beauties  of  the  ice-storm, 
Bromley  remarked  that  it  was  strange  they  had  not  been 
awakened  as  usual  by  the  crowing  of  the  cocks.  Indeed, 
the  stillness  of  the  hour  was  remarkable.  It  was  strange 
that  while  they  had  lain  in  their  bunks  after  daybreak 
they  had  not  heard  the  cocks  answering  one  another  from 
one  end  of  the  plateau  to  the  other. 

Usually  they  heard  first  the  clear,  ringing  note  of  some 
knowing  old  bird  bui'st  loud  and  shrill  from  under  the 
very  window,  and  then  the  pert  reply  of  some  upstart 
youngster  who  had  not  yet  learned  to  manage  his  crow 
drifting  faintly  back  from  the  rocks  to  the  west;  then 
straightway  all  the  crowers,  of  all  ages  and  of  every  con- 
dition of  shrillness  and  hoarseness,  tried  for  five  mortal 
minutes  to  crow  one  another  down ;  and  when  one  weak, 
far-away  chicken  seemed  to  have  got  the  last  word,  an- 


238  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

other  would  break  the  stillness,  and  the  strident  contest 
would  begin  again. 

Perhaps  they  had  heard  all  this  and  not  noticed  it. 
They  were  so  used  to  the  noise ;  it  was  like  the  ticking  of 
a  clock  or  the  measured  pounding  of  the  Slow-John ;  but 
it  was  certain  that  nothing  of  the  kind  was  going  on  at 
present. 

In  leaving  the  house  they  had  been  so  enchanted  by  the 
hues  of  the  ice-storm  that  they  now  remembered  they  had 
not  so  much  as  turned  their  eyes  in  the  direction  of  the 
roost.  When  they  came  upon  the  brow  of  the  hill  which 
overlooked  the  mill,— which  was  a  silver  mill  now,— the 
limbs  of  the  trees  which  stretched  along  the  bank  beyond 
were  crowded  with  the  fowls,  at  least  four  hundred  of 
them,  sitting  still  on  their  perches.  Philip,  who  fell 
down  in  his  eagerness,  and  rolled  over  on  the  ice,  re- 
marked as  he  got  upon  his  feet  that  it  was  too  knowing  a 
flock  of  birds  to  leave  the  sure  hold  it  had  on  the  limbs  to 
come  down  onto  the  slippery  ground. 

As  the  soldiers  came  nearer,  however,  they  noticed  that 
their  fowls  in  the  sunlight  were  quite  the  most  brilliantly 
prismatic  objects  they  had  seen  ;  for  their  red  combs  and 
party-colored  feathers  made  a  rich  showing  through  the 
transparent  coating  of  ice  which  enveloped  them  like  shells 
and  held  them  fast  to  the  limbs  where  they  sat.  Wliether 
they  had  been  frozen  stiff  or  smothered  by  the  icy  envelop, 
they  were  unable  to  determine ;  but  they  could  see  that 
all  the  fowls  had  met  with  a  very  beautiful  death,  except 
two  or  three  of  the  toughest  old  roosters,  who  had  man- 


STAINED-GLASS  WINDOWS  AND  PRISMATIC  FOWLS    239 

aged  to  crack  the  icy  winding-sheet  about  their  bills. 
One  of  these,  who  had  more  life  in  him  than  the  others, 
made  a  dismal  attempt  to  crow. 

Bromley  hastened  to  get  the  ladder  from  the  mill,  and 
the  hatchet,  and  wherever  a  living  bird  was  to  be  seen  he 
put  up  the  ladder  regardless  of  the  dead  ones,  which  broke 
off  and  fell  down,  and  chipping  the  ice  about  its  claws, 
removed  it  tenderly  to  the  ground.  In  the  end  the 
three  soldiers  carried  just  two  apiece,  one  under  each  arm, 
of  these  tough  old  veterans  into  the  house,  and  not  daring 
to  bring  them  near  the  fire,  set  them  up  to  thaw  gradually 
against  the  inner  side  of  the  door.  Then  they  made  a 
pot  of  hasty-pudding  for  their  own  breakfast ;  but  before 
they  touched  it  themselves  they  fed  a  little  of  it,  steaming 
hot,  to  each  reviving  old  bird.  In  fact,  the  poor  fowls 
looked  so  much  like  colored- glass  images,  ^when  tilted 
against  the  door,  that,  fearing  at  any  moment  they  might 
topple  over  and  break  into  fragments,  they  laid  each 
rooster  carefully  on  his  side,  where  the  ice  melted  by 
degrees  into  sloppy  pools  on  the  floor. 

The  oldest  of  these  unhappy  survivors  had  come  up  the 
mountain  tied  to  a  pack-saddle,  and  consequently  was  more 
than  six  years  old.  He  was  big  of  frame  and  tawny  of 
color,  and  had  long,  sharp  spurs  curved  like  smaU  powder- 
horns,  and  his  crow  when  he  was  in  good  health  proclaimed 
him  the  leader  of  the  flock.  The  other  five  cocks,  although 
but  a  trifle  younger,  belonged  to  the  next  generation,  for 
they  came  of  the  first  summer's  hatching.  Their  plumage 
was  red  and  black,  and  their  long,  sweeping  tail-feathers 


240  THE   LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

cased  in  ice  would  certainly  have  been  snapped  off  if  they 
had  had  the  least  power  to  move  their  bodies.  As  the  ice 
melted  from  their  heads,  they  looked  about  the  house 
with  their  round  red  eyes,  and  otherwise  lay  quite  helpless 
on  their  sides,  their  claws  drawn  up  to  their  crops,  and 
cui'ved  as  they  had  been  taken  from  the  limbs. 

The  soldiers  looked  on,  full  of  sympathy,  and  fed  their 
patients  now  and  then  with  a  small  portion  of  warm 
pudding;  and  finally,  remembering  their  medicine-chest, 
which  they  had  never  yet  had  occasion  to  use,  they  waited 
patiently  until  the  ice  melted,  so  that  they  could  handle 
the  fowls  without  danger  of  breaking,  and  then  they  held 
each  rooster  up  by  the  neck  and  dosed  him  with  a  spoon- 
ful of  whisky  and  quinine. 

Following  this  prescription  they  laid  the  old  bu'ds  in  a 
row  on  a  warm  blanket,  sufficiently  elevating  their  heads, 
and  covering  them  up  to  their  bills,  and  left  them  to  sleep 
and  sweat  after  the  most  approved  hospital  practice. 

And  now,  having  done  theh'  duty  by  the  living,  they 
went  outside  to  look  at  the  dead,  which  were,  if  possible, 
more  beautiful  than  ever.  The  sun  was  unusually  warm, 
and  by  this  time  everything  was  dripping  and  glittering 
in  the  light,  which  was  half  blinding,  and  the  thin  ice  was 
snapping  everywhere  as  the  lightened  hmbs  sought  to  re- 
gain their  natural  positions.  As  to  the  dead  fowls,  a  few 
had  fallen  to  the  ground,  but  most  of  them  remained 
rigidly  perched  on  the  great  limbs,  dripping  a  shower 
of  raindrops  upon  the  ice  below.  Here  and  there,  where 
a  few  rays  of  the  sun  had  found  passage  to  a  particular 


STAINED-GLASS  WINDOWS  AND  PRISMATIC  FOWLS    241 

limb,  a  section  of  the  icy  coating  had  turned  so  that  a 
half-dozen  fowls  hung  heads  downward,  or  the  casing  of  a 
hen  had  melted,  while  her  claws  were  still  frozen  fast,  leav- 
ing her  to  lop  over  against  her  neighbor  for  support. 

By  afternoon  they  began  to  faU  off  the  branches  like 
ripened  fruit,  and  drop  on  the  ground  with  a  thud  like 
apples  in  an  orchard  on  a  windy  day.  It  was  a  dismal 
sound  in  the  ears  of  the  three  soldiers,  and  a  sad  sight  to 
see  the  heaps  of  dead  fowls  as  they  accumulated  on  the 
ground. 

The  military  training  of  these  young  men  had  taught 
them  to  make  the  most  of  every  reverse,  and  if  possible  to 
turn  defeat  into  victory;  and  so  they  fell  to  work  and 
plucked  off  a  great  quantity  of  soft  feathers,  and  all  the 
next  day  was  spent  in  skinning  the  breasts,  which  they 
would  find  some  way  to  cure  and  make  into  covers  for 
their  beds,  or  even  garments  for  themselves.  A  portion 
of  the  carcases  they  tried  out  over  the  fire,  and  made  a 
brave  supply  of  oil  for  the  mill,  and  then  the  poor  remains 
were  thrown  over  the  cliff. 

The  six  old  roosters  remained  alive  in  a  crippled  and 
deformed  condition,  some  having  three  stumpy  toes  to  a 
foot,  and  others  two  or  one,  on  which  they  wabbled  and 
limped  about  with  molting  feathers  and  abbreviated  combs, 
the  most  dismal-looking  fowls  that  can  be  imagined.  The 
old  yeUow  patriarch  was  paralyzed  as  to  his  legs  and  thighs, 
so  that  he  was  nearly  as  helpless  as  a  tailor's  goose,  and 
had  to  be  set  about  and  fed  like  an  infant.  For  the  five 
red  ones  Bromley  fixed  a  roost  in  the  corner  of  the  house 


242  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIEES 

behind  the  door,  where  some  of  them  had  to  be  helped  up 
at  night,  and  where  they  crowed  hoarsely  in  the  morning, 
over  against  the  window  of  the  stained-glass  flag. 

Philip,  in  pursuance  of  a  brilliant  idea  which  he  kept  to 
himself,  selected  a  dozen  of  the  new-laid  eggs  which  they 
happened  to  have  in  the  house,  and  put  them  away  in  a 
warm  place  where  no  breath  of  frost  could  reach  them. 
When  the  first  warm  days  of  spring  came,  he  made  a  nest 
of  corn-husks  and  feathers  on  a  sunny  shoulder  of  rock. 
Into  this  nest  he  put  the  eggs  he  had  saved,  and  covered 
them  with  the  old  paralyzed  yellow  rooster,  who  had  never 
been  known  to  move  from  where  he  was  set  down  since 
the  night  he  was  frozen  on  the  limb.  The  indignant  old 
bird  certainly  gave  PhiUp  a  look  of  remonstrance  as  he 
left  him  in  this  degrading  position ;  and  when  PhUip  came 
a  few  hours  later  to  feed  him,  this  cunning  old  rooster, 
strengthened  perhaps  by  his  outraged  feelings,  had  in  some 
way  managed  to  turn  over  so  that  he  lay  on  his  side  on 
the  rock,  his  helpless  claws  extending  stiffly  over  the  nest. 
As  often  as  he  was  set  back  he  managed  to  accomplish  the 
same  feat,  when  if  left  on  the  ground  he  would  sit  for  a 
week  where  he  was  placed,  as  stolid  and  immovable  as  a 
decoy-duck. 

The  loss  of  the  fowls  had  left  an  abundance  of  corn  for 
planting ;  but  when  the  warm  days  came  after  this  trying 
winter,  it  was  a  queer  sight  to  see  the  thi-ee  soldiers  walk- 
ing about  the  top  of  the  mountain,  with  their  five  sad  roos- 
ters wabbling  at  their  heels. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

A  SCRAP  OF  PAPER 

>HE  long,  cold  winter  of  1870,  which  froze  all  the 
fowls  except  the  six  sad  roosters,  and  followed 
the  failure  of  the  potato  and  corn  crops,  was  also 
disastrous  to  the  bees.  The  hives  had  inci'eased 
to  a  fine  long  row  in  the  years  that  followed  the  capture 
of  the  first  swarm  discovered  by  Tumbler,  the  bear,  and 
the  honey  had  been  a  welcome  addition  to  the  soldiers' 
simple  fare;  but  the  cold  weather  had  destroyed  every 
swarm,  leaving  only  bee-bread  and  some  half-consumed 
old  combs  from  which  the  dead  bees  had  fallen  in  a  dry 
mass  upon  the  bench  below. 

While  Coleman  and  Bromley  were  engaged  in  planting, 
Philip  was  making  an  effort  to  find  a  new  bee-tree.  He 
had  noticed  some  bees  buzzing  about  the  wild  flowers  on 
the  ridge  by  the  old  flagging-station,  and  he  determined 
to  "  line  "  them  by  a  method  he  had  seen  his  uncle  prac- 
tise when  he  was  a  boy  in  Ohio.  He  made  a  little  box 
with  a  sliding  cover,  into  which  he  put  a  small  honey- 
comb, and  taking  the  old  yellow  rooster  under  one  arm 

243 


244  THE  LAST   THEEE   SOLDIERS 

for  company,— or  perhaps  for  luck,— he  went  over  to 
where  the  flowers  grew  near  the  northern  end  of  the 
plateau.  He  set  down  the  old  rooster  on  the  ground,  and 
opened  the  box  on  a  stone  in  front  of  him,  and  waited, 
watching  his  bait.  It  was  something  like  fishing  in  the 
old  mill-pond,  of  which  he  had  once  been  fond,  and  he 
found  a  singular  fascination  about  watching  the  opening 
in  the  box  as  he  used  to  watch  his  bobber.  The  June 
weather  on  the  mountain  was  like  May  in  the  Ohio  valley, 
and  the  sweet  smell  of  the  flowers  carried  his  mind  back 
to  his  old  home.  He  had  no  longer  to  wait  for  the  first 
nibble  than  he  had  waited  in  the  old  days  for  the  first  stir 
of  his  cork  and  the  spreading  ring  on  the  water.  A  bee 
lighted  on  the  lid  and  then  made  his  way  down  into  the 
box.  After  loading  his  legs  with  honey,  the  bee  reap- 
peared, and  rising  into  the  air,  flew  away  to  the  south. 
Philip  followed  the  small  insect  with  his  eyes,  and  then, 
picking  up  the  old  rooster,  he  came  on  for  a  hundred 
yards  in  the  same  direction,  and  set  his  bait  as  before. 
This  time  he  had  two  bees  in  his  box,  and  when 
they  had  loaded  themselves  they  flew  away  in  the  same 
direction  as  the  first.  They  disappeared  so  soon  above  the 
tree-tops  that  he  thought  the  swarm  was  not  far  away; 
but  every  time  he  advanced,  the  loaded  bees  continued  to 
fly  south,  until  he  had  moved  the  paralyzed  old  rooster  by 
easy  stages  the  whole  length  of  the  plateau ;  and  the  bees, 
which  came  in  greater  numbers  now,  rose  into  the  air  and 
flew  in  a  *'  bee-line  "  over  the  top  of  the  southern  cliff. 
Philip  was  disgusted  at  this  result  of  his  bee-hunt,  as 


A   SCRAP   OF   PAPER  245 

any  fisherman,  after  wading  to  his  middle  in  a  cold  river 
to  humor  a  fine  trout,  might  be,  to  lose  his  victim  at  last 
in  the  foaming  rapids ;  but  he  knew  to  a  certainty  that 
there  was  a  bee-tree  somewhere  beyond  the  thus  far  un- 
scalable southern  cliff. 

For  the  present  the  vision  of  honey  was  abandoned,  and 
the  economy  of  the  camp,  where  food  was  now  alarmingly 
low,  was  cunningly  exercised  to  discover  edible  things  in 
lieu  of  the  corn,  which,  after  the  planting,  was  all  stored 
in  the  nine  gunny-sacks  which  had  fallen  from  the  balloon. 
The  sacks  were  piled  one  upon  another  in  a  small  heap 
behind  the  hopper  in  the  mill,  and  the  six  sad  roosters  had 
to  shift  for  themselves  as  best  they  could,  except  the  old 
fellow  who  was  paralyzed,  and  for  him  they  gathered  grubs 
and  worms,  and  saved  the  crumbs  that  fell  from  the  table. 

It  appeared  possible  to  the  minds  of  the  soldiers  that 
the  liver-colored  slabs  of  fungus  which  grew  out  of  the 
sides  of  the  chestnut-trees  and  the  birches  might  be  as 
palatable  and  nourishing  as  mushrooms.  They  broke  off 
one  of  these  pieces  one  day,  which  was  shaped  like  the 
half  of  an  inverted  saucer,  and  was  moist  and  clammy  on 
the  under  side.  They  had  a  suspicion  that  such  things 
were  poison.  They  had  never  heard  of  any  one  eating 
the  Hke,  and  after  they  had  stewed  it  in  their  camp-kettle, 
inviting  as  its  odor  was,  they  sniffed  and  hesitated  and 
feared  to  taste  it.  In  the  end  they  shook  their  heads,  and 
spilled  the  contents  of  the  kettle  on  the  ground,  where  as 
soon  as  their  backs  were  turned  Tumbler  and  the  five  sad 
roosters  feU  to  devouring  the  rejected  food. 


246  THE   LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

When  the  soldiers  discovered  what  their  domestic  ani- 
mals were  about,  the  bear  was  licking  his  chops  and  the 
old  roosters  were  waltzing  about  in  the  grass  picking  up 
the  last  morsels  of  the  feast.  They  regretted  their  care- 
lessness, and  rather  expected  that  before  night  the  old 
paralyzed  rooster  would  be  their  only  living  companion 
on  the  mountain. 

When,  however,  the  bear  and  the  five  sad  roosters  sur- 
vived the  test,  and  seemed  rather  to  flourish  on  the  new 
food,  the  soldiers  took  heart,  and  found  the  fungus  not 
only  good,  but  so  much  like  meat  that  it  was  quite  star- 
tling to  their  vegetarian  palates. 

After  eating  all  of  this  peculiar  food-product  that  grew 
on  the  plateau,  they  gleaned  the  field  above  the  deep  gorge, 
and  as  a  last  resort  they  made  a  hunting  expedition  to  the 
half-acre  of  rocks  and  brambles  where  they  had  found  the 
mica.  Terrible  as  the  passage  through  the  cavern  had  at 
first  seemed  to  the  mind  of  Lieutenant  Coleman,  the  lapse 
of  time  and  a  better  acquaintance  with  the  interior  of  the 
subterraneous  tunnel  made  it  but  a  commonplace  covered 
way  to  the  field  of  mica.  Not  that  the  soldiers  had  any 
further  use  for  the  mineral  wealth  which  was  so  lavishly 
strewn  among  the  rocks.  It  was  as  valueless  to  them  now 
as  the  button-hook  found  in  the  hand-bag  of  alligator-skin. 
To  go  now  and  then  through  the  underground  passage, 
however,  if  only  for  the  purpose  of  looking  at  the  world 
outside  from  the  view-point  of  their  newest  territorial 
possession,  was  a  temptation  which  no  landed  proprietors 
could  resist.     The  little  shelf  afforded  them  a  glimpse  to 


'HE  WAS  DOWK  (j:^   HIS  HANDS  AND  K^EE6  Ui'U^'  TiDi  lUfvF.' 


A   SCRAP  OF  PAPER  249 

the  south  of  the  Cove  road,  which  on  account  of  certain 
intervening  trees  was  not  to  be  had  from  the  plateau 
above.  Several  cabins  could  be  seen  smoking  in  the  small 
clearings  which  surrounded  them,  but  since  the  telescope 
had  gone  into  the  avalanche  with  Philip  there  was  but 
poor  satisfaction  in  looking  at  them. 

They  found  a  single  piece  of  the  liver-colored  fungus 
growing  on  the  root  of  a  half-decayed  old  chestnut,  and 
even  this  they  regarded  as  well  worth  their  journey.  They 
spent  some  time  wandering  about  the  mica  shelf,  and 
when  Lieutenant  Coleman  and  Philip  were  boring  their 
torches  into  the  ground,  one  after  the  other,  to  rid  them 
of  the  dead  coal,  and  getting  ready  for  the  start  back, 
Bromley,  who  had  been  poking  about  among  the  rocks, 
called  to  them  in  a  tone  of  voice  that  indicated  a  pretty 
important  discovery  in  the  stone  line.  He  was  down  on 
his  hands  and  knees  on  the  turf,  boring  his  toes  into  the 
soil,  and  as  his  comrades  approached  him,  he  exclaimed : 
"  I  have  n't  touched  it  yet.  Just  come  here  and  look !  " 
Naturally,  Coleman  and  Philip  thought  he  had  found 
some  curious  reptile.  Instead,  however,  of  this  being  the 
case,  Bromley  was  kneeling  over  a  scrap  of  newspaper 
which  was  impaled  on  a  dead  twig  under  the  shelter  of  a 
rock  where  neither  the  sun  nor  the  rain  could  reach  it. 
The  torn  fragment  was  scarcely  larger  than  the  palm  of 
one's  hand,  and  snugly  as  it  was  now  protected  from  the 
weather,  it  was  yellow  from  former  exposure,  and  the  print 
was  much  faded,  so  that  parts  of  it  were  illegible.  It  was 
possible,  however,  to  decipher  enough  of  the  small  adver- 

14 


250  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIEKS 

tisements  on  the  exposed  side  to  show  that  it  was  a 
Charleston  paper,  and  they  knew  of  course  that  it  must 
have  come  by  the  balloon  almost  a  year  before.  Undoubt- 
edly it  had  lain  for  a  long  time  on  the  plateau  above,  ex- 
posed to  the  storms,  before  the  wind  had  tossed  it  over 
the  cliff  and  landed  it  in  such  a  wonderful  way  on  the  twig" 
under  the  cover  of  the  rock. 

On  the  reverse  side  most  of  the  print  was  fairly  legible. 
The  scrap  was  torn  from  the  top  of  the  paper,  and  had 
on  it  a  capital  G,  which  was  the  only  letter  left  of  the 
name  of  the  paper.  The  line  below  read :  ''  September 
[date  of  month  gone],  18-0."  The  center  column  was 
headed : 

"FOREIGN  WORLD 

"  The  Hon.  Charles  Snoivden,  M.  P.,  goes  down  with  his  yacht 
— Earthquake  in  Spain;  four  distinct  shocks  felt— No 
dam     e  done— Movement  of  specie 

"■  London,  September  4.  The  steam-yacht  of  the  Hon- 
orable Charles  Snowden,  M.  P.,  which  was  wrecked  yes- 
terday off  the  old  Head  of  Kinsale  on  the  south  coast  of 
Ireland,  was  this  morning  looted  by  thieves.  The  ri  , 
plate,  carpets,  upholstery,  and  fittings,  as  well  as 
quantity  of  storage,  sails,  and  stores,  were  taken.  Lights 
were  seen  from  the  mainland  at  two  o'clock  this  morning, 
when  a  heavy  sea  was  running. 

"  Later.  The  Hon.  Charles  Snowden  and  the  first  offi- 
cer of  the  boat  lost  their  lives  by  the  swamping  of  the 
raft  on  which  they  had  embarked. 


A  SCRAP  OF   PAPER  251 

"  Madrid,  September  4.      Four  distinct  shocks  of  an 
earthquake  this  morning  were  felt  in  the  province 
of  Granada,  in  the  south  of  Spain.     Coming  as  t 
shocks  have,  twenty-four  hours  later  than  the 
ances  reported  on  the  coast  of  Italy  by  y 
ws,  would  indicate  that  the  disturbance 
No  damage  is  reported.     In 
from  the  vineyards." 

What  remained  of  the  right-hand  column  bore,  to  the 
soldiers,  these  surprising  words,  in  sentences  and  parts  of 
sentences : 

"  Local  Happenings—  Charleston— 
B.  E.  Lee  as  General—  Sherman  at  the  War  Office 

"The  controversy  just  concluded  between  the  Couri 
Mercury  on  the  strategic  merits  of  the  two  command 
developed  nothing  new.     The  Sherman  cam 
ending  at  the  city  of  Atlanta 
ably  discussed  and  with 
justice  to  the  dead  comma 
The  great 'March  to  the  Sea,  b 
More  brilliant  achievement 
of  the  war  and  its 
in  another  colum 
South  is  satisfie 
happy  endin" 

When  Coleman  and  Philip  caught  the  first  glimpse  of 
the  scrap  of  paper,  tattered  and  yellow,  they  believed  it  to 


252  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

be  some  fragment  of  the  Blue  Book  whicli  they  themselves 
had  discarded.  The  exposed  surface  was  almost  as  free 
of  print  as  if  it  had  been  treated  with  potash,  and  looked 
as  insignificant  as  a  dried  leaf  or  a  section  of  corn-husk. 
Bromley,  on  the  other  hand,  had  examined  it  more  closely, 
and  just  as  Coleman  began  to  laugh  at  him,  he  put  out 
his  hand  and  removed  the  scrap  of  paper  from  the  twig 
which  held  it  fast ;  and  as  he  turned  it  over  to  the  light, 
he  was  nearly  as  much  surprised  as  his  companions. 

The  three  were  down  on  their  knees  in  an  instant, 
eagerly  devouring  the  words  of  the  head-lines ;  and  Philip 
being  on  the  right,  it  happened  that  his  eyes  were  the  first 
to  fall  on  the  name  of  General  Sherman. 

"'Sherman  at  the  War  Office'!"  he  cried.  "What 
does  that  mean  ? " 

"  It  means  we  have  been  deceived,"  said  Coleman.    "  I—" 

"  Hurrah !  "  cried  Philip,  leaping  up  and  dancing  about 
untU  the  rags  of  his  tattered  clothing  fluttered  in  the  sun- 
light. "  Hurrah !  Uncle  Billy  is  alive !  He  never  was 
killed  at  all !  If  that  message  was  false,  they  were  aU 
false— all  hes!  lies!  What  fools  we  have  been!  We 
must  leave  the  mountain  to-morrow— to-night." 

"We  have  been  the  victims  of  an  infamous  decep- 
tion," exclaimed  Lieutenant  Coleman.  "Let  us  go  back 
to  the  house  at  once,  and  determine  what  is  to  be 
done." 

Against  this  undue  haste  Bromley  remonstrated  feebly, 
for  he  himseK  was  laboring  under  unusual  excitement. 
His  eyes  were  so  dimmed  by  a  suffusion  of  something  very 


A   SCRAP  OF   PAPER  253 

like  tears — tears  of  anger — that  he  could  read  no  further 
for  the  moment,  and  he  put  the  paper  carefully  into  his 
pocket,  and  picked  up  his  torch  and  followed  his  comrades 
sulkily  into  the  cavern. 

Upon  Bromley's  peculiar  character  this  new  revelation 
had  a  depressing  effect.  He  still  entertained  doubts.  If 
the  new  hope  was  finally  realized,  his  joy  would  be  as  deep 
and  sincere  as  that  of  the  others.  For  the  present,  the 
thought  that  they  might  have  been  deceived  all  along 
angered  him.  He  had  an  inclination  to  stop  even  then 
and  examine  the  paper  more  fully  by  torch-light ;  but  the 
underground  passage  was  long,  and  the  pine-knot  he  car- 
ried was  burning  low.  He  felt  obliged  to  hasten  on  after 
Coleman  and  Philip,  who  were  now  considerably  in  ad- 
vance. They  were  still  in  view,  however,  and  as  he  held 
the  torch  to  one  side  that  which  he  saw  far  up  the  nar- 
rowing cavern  had  a  softening  effect  on  his  conflicting 
emotions.  He  even  laughed  at  the  grotesque  exhibition ; 
for  the  small  figures  of  Coleman  and  Philip  were  dancing 
and  hugging  each  other  and  dashing  their  torches  against 
the  rocks  in  a  way  that  made  them  look  like  mad  sala- 
manders in  the  circling  flames  and  sparks. 

Such  reckless  enthusiasm  was  a  condition  of  mind  which 
George  could  not  understand ;  but  the  possibility  occurred 
to  him  that  in  their  wild  excitement  they  might  set  fire  to 
the  house  as  a  beacon-light  to  the  people  in  the  valley ;  for 
they  could  never  get  away  from  the  plateau  without  help 
from  beyond  the  deep  gorge. 

To  prevent,  if  possible,  any  rash  action  on  the  part  of 


254  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

his  more  excited  comrades,  Bromley  hurried  his  pace,  and, 
in  the  effort  to  overtake  them,  soon  found  himself  leaping 
over  obstacles  and  dodging  corners  of  the  rocky  -wall  in  a 
wild  race,  which  tended  to  excite  even  his  phlegmatic  na- 
ture. As  he  ran  on,  that  magical  sentence,  *'  Sherman  at 
the  "War  Office,"  stood  out  in  black  letters  before  his  eyes. 
What  war  office  ?  If  the  paper  referred  to  the  war  office 
of  the  United  States,  it  certainly  would  have  so  designated 
a  department  of  a  foreign  government.  If  there  were  two 
governments,  it  would  be  necessary  to  say  which  war  office 
was  meant.  If  the  old  government  in  whose  military  ser- 
vice he  had  enlisted  as  a  boy  had  regained  its  own,  the 
phrase  "  Sherman  at  the  War  Office  "  would  be  natural  and 
correct  5  and  with  this  triumphant  conviction  he  ran  on 
the  faster.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  Confederacy  had 
gained  everything!— at  the  sickening  thought  his  feet 
became  so  heavy  that  his  speed  relapsed  into  a  labored 
waUi,  and  the  oppressive  air  of  the  cavern  seemed  to  stifle 
him. 

He  would  reach  his  companions  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
compel  them  to  examine  the  scrap  of  paper  and  weigh  its 
every  word.  It  was  beginning  to  dawn  upon  Bromley  that 
they  had  acted  like  children;  and  when  he  finally  came 
out  at  the  entrance  to  the  cave  of  the  bats  into  the  sub- 
dued light  under  the  dark  pines,  he  found  Philip  and 
Coleman  waiting  for  him,  and  clamoring  for  another  look 
at  the  scrap  of  paper. 

There  was  not  much  to  read  in  the  fraction  of  a  column 
that  interested  them  most,  but  Philip  and  Coleman  were 


A  SCRAP  OF  PAPER  255 

determined  to  twist  the  reading  to  the  support  of  their 
new  hopes,  and  Bromley  naturally  took  the  opposite  view, 
heartily  wishing,  however,  that  the  others  might  prove  him 
mistaken.  There  was  something  in  the  reading  of  the 
broken  sentences  that  tended  to  quiet  the  enthusiasm  of 
Lieutenant  Coleman,  and  when  Bromley  could  make  him- 
self heard,  he  called  attention  to  the  second  sentence,  "  The 
Sherman  campaign  ending  at  the Atlanta,  ably  dis- 
cussed," and  "  Justice  to  the  dead  commander."  What  dead 
commander,  if  not  General  Sherman  ?  If  he  had  lived  his 
campaign  would  not  have  ended  at  Atlanta.  It  was  evi- 
dent that  there  had  been  a  newspaper  controversy  in 
Charleston  on  the  merits  of  two  campaigns  by  Sherman 
and  Lee— the  Atlanta  campaign  and  the  March  to  the 
Sea— whatever  that  might  be.  The  latter,  Bromley 
thought,  was  clearly  some  achievement  of  Lee's.  And 
then  he  remembered  his  prophecy  on  the  night  when  they 
had  changed  the  name  of  the  plateau  from  Lincoln  to 
Sherman  Territory. 

"  It  proves,"  cried  Bromley,  "  just  what  I  foresaw :  that, 
after  the  capture  of  Washington,  Lee  led  his  army  across 
Maryland,  Pennsylvania,  and  New  Jersey,  living  on  the 
country,  to  meet  the  foreign  allies  of  the  Confederacy  in 
the  harbor  of  New  York.  It  was  certainly  a  brilliant 
mihtary  movement.  Look,"  he  cried,  when  the  others 
were  silent,  "  '  South  is  satisfied— happy  ending—' " 

"But,"  said  Philip,  still  obstinate,  "what  do  you  make 
of  those  five  words,  '  Sherman  at  the  War  Office '  ?  How 
do  you  get  around  that  ? " 


256  THE  LAST   THEEE   SOLDIERS 

''Why,  my  dear  boy/'  said  Bromley,  "this  is  only  the 
heading  of  a  newspaper  article.  It  does  not  mean  that 
General  Sherman  was  at  the  war  office  in  person.  It 
simply  refers  to  General  Sherman's  record  in  the  War 
Department." 

After  all  their  excitement,  Coleman  and  Philip  were 
obliged  to  give  way  to  the  convincing  evidence  revealed 
in  the  broken  sentences.  They  were  too  tired  by  this  time 
to  consider  the  bits  of  foreign  news,  or  notice  the  dates, 
and  it  was  quite  dark  when  they  reached  the  house  and 
went  dejected  and  supperless  to  bed. 

The  next  morning  they  got  down  the  map,  and  looked 
ruefully  at  the  States  which  Lee  must  have  devastated  in 
his  triumphant  march.  With  the  consent  of  the  others, 
Bromley  took  a  pen  and  traced  the  probable  route  by 
Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  and  Trenton  to  the  Jersey  coast 
of  New  York  harbor.  Bromley  was  determined  to  lay 
out  the  line  of  march  by  Harrisburg,  and  was  restrained 
only  by  physical  force,  which  resulted  in  blotting  the 
map  at  the  point  where  his  clumsy  line  was  arrested. 
They  agreed,  however,  that  Lee's  victorious  army  had 
undoubtedly  camped  on  the  lower  bay  and  along  the 
Raritan  River,  in  the  country  between  Perth  Amboy  and 
the  old  battle-field  of  Monmouth.  They  were  convinced 
that  the  map  was  utterly  wrong,  for  after  such  a  march  it 
was  doubtful  if  there  were  any  United  States  at  aU.  The 
disaster  appeared  more  overwhelming  than  ever,  and  they 
hung  the  map  back  on  the  wall— in  another  place,  how- 
ever, for  it  was  discovered  that  the  rain  had  beaten  through 


.  G 


FOREK^I^  ^WOKL. 


THE  HOW  CHAS.  NOWDEN,  M.  P.,  GOES  F/ftWy 
W ITH  ^IS  YA  'HT— EAKTHQrAKE  I^  OPMS- 
FOCR'' DlSrr  CT    8H0CEH    FIXT-^'O    J.AM- 


.       £OC.ii  HAPPEXmaS,   CHABLE 
4  B.  E.  LEE  liii  GENERAL~f> 

MAN  AT  TBE  WAS  OFl 

j      Tlie  controversy  Joat  coneladed  between  tt 
Mercury  on  tlie  strategic  merits  of  the  two 
Jeveloped  notbingr  new.    The  Sbecmap 
ending.it  the  City  of  AUanta^^ 
ably  discussed  and  witlf " 
jastiee  to  the  dead  combat. 
The  great  Marcb  to  the  se«,  ^ 
pt^a  -ler  iih — ^The  «>  im  yacht  of  tte^ '  ^"re  briUiant  acbtsTemen^ 

d    '<-'ii.'    Chabje-^    Ssowbjvs,   it.   P,   which  T^ia  »  of  the  war  and  its-  -^ 

uSTevki.l  y.-stera«>  off  th«^Oia  hea  1  i,f  Kintjilcoti  fue  1  :n  another  eolio^ 

«3«tli  ooAtit  of  U  -Un'!,  wa<  this  mornML»ri,  !  hv  [  .South  is  datlsfle* 

thlovrg     The  rir  ^  pl«te,  >i<~pt^.  ii' "  jls^mL.  '  <■•>  ,  happy  cndjir/' 

tings,  ns  well  a&'t  large  qoantitj  jf  emrdapvAu    aad  J  ~ 

stores^  wore  fcak»i  •.   XiRhts  sta'e  seeS'fiStti  tue  mam- 
land  at  t«o  o'clx-i  tUii  mc.faiag„wbeB  a  bear?  sta 

'  \3  rnnnlng. 

I.ATf  j..~Xl'>  ilim  r<JvELE8  ^^o■n••DE.■^  ».i  t  'I «  i  "St 
o^iwt  of  the  b  lat  lost  their  ll^ofl  by  the  swaaipjpg  of 
tbe  nut  on  wb.ab  th"y  h;^  omhatkoO  * 

JIakb'  .B  it<.mber*tb.~F<rardistmo»l)BocJi«of  an  jJ 

>  akh  1  UK  5  tl  8  morning  were  felt  in  the  province  of  _^ 
^innaCt.,  lu    ha  south  of  Spain.    Coming  »a  ♦'" 


hocSsJjaVe,  -«-eBty-fonr  boars  later  than  'be/ 
wi:fi,ort   !  on  tiut  coast  of  IwSy,  by  >  i 


■'THE  SCKAP  OF  PAPER." 


A  SCRAP  OF   PAPER  259 

the  logs  and  run  down  across  the  Pacific  side.  Poor  as  it 
was,  they  were  determined  to  preserve  it. 

It  was  not  until  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  day  on 
which  they  had  altered  the  map  that  the  three  soldiers 
returned  to  the  examination  of  the  scrap  of  paper  which 
they  had  agreed  from  the  first  could  have  reached  the 
mountain-top  only  by  falling  from  the  balloon  the  year 
before. 

"  How  is  this  ? "  cried  Coleman,  pointing  excitedly  to  the 
dates  of  the  foreign  telegrams.  "  This  piece  of  newspaper 
could  not  have  come  by  the  balloon.  The  balloon  passed 
over  the  mountain  on  September  5,  having  left  the  city  of 
Charleston,  as  declared  by  the  tail  aeronaut,  at  3  :  30  o'clock 
of  the  afternoon  before,  which  was  the  4th  of  September. 
Look  at  the  dates  for  yourself,"  he  continued,  handing 
the  paper  to  Bromley.  ''Was  n't  the  Honorable  M.  P. 
drowned  on  the  morning  of  September  4  ?  Can't  you  read 
there  that  the  earthquake  in  Spain  was  on  the  4th  ? " 

"  What  of  that  ? "  said  Bromley ;  "  you  can't  make  out 
the  date  of  the  paper." 

"  I  don't  care  what  the  date  of  publication  was,"  rephed 
Coleman.  "  If  it  came  by  the  balloon  it  was  pubhshed 
before  September  5.  Now  please  tell  me  how  it  could 
bring  European  news  of  the  4th." 

"  Hum  !  "  said  Bromley,  somewhat  puzzled.  "  If  it  had 
been  published  on  the  3d,  it  could  n't  bring  news  of  the 
4th— that 's  certain." 

"I  have  it,"  cried  Philip;  "Fred  has  got  the  dates  of 
the  diary  more  than  a  week  out  of  the  way.    We  thought 


260  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

the  balloon  passed  on  September  5.  It  was  nearer  the 
15th." 

"No,"  exclaimed  Coleman,  glaring  at  Philip;  "there  is 
no  mistake  in  the  record;  not  a  date  is  omitted.  Leap- 
year  was  added  to  the  days  in  February  when  it  came 
around.  /  make  a  mistake  in  the  date !  No,  sir !  There 
is  no  mistake.  Whatever  happens,  I  will  stand  on  the 
rec— " 

"You  are  right,  old  man,"  cried  Bromley,  interrupting 
him  5  " and  the  paper  proves  it.  Don't  you  see  the  point? 
They  have  got  the  Atlantic  cable  down  at  last,  and  work- 
ing like  a  charm.  The  paper  was  published  on  the  4th 
of  September.  It  was  an  afternoon  paper,  and  this  piece 
fell  from  the  balloon  on  the  5th  of  September." 

They  agreed  that  this  was  wonderful  as  explaining  with- 
out doubt  what  at  first  seemed  impossible,  and  at  the  same 
time  verifying  the  accuracy  of  the  dates  in  the  diary  which 
Lieutenant  Coleman  had  conducted  for  more  than  six 
years  at  the  time  the  balloon  passed.  Coleman  and  Brom- 
ley remembered  distinctlj^  the  unsuccessful  attempts  at 
laying  the  Atlantic  cable  in  the  summer  of  1858,  and  the 
fame  of  Cyrus  Field  as  its  projector ;  and  now  by  the  dis- 
covery of  this  scrap  of  yellow  and  tattered  paper  they  were 
made  aware  that  the  great  project  had  been  continued  to 
a  successful  issue.  Possibly  they  were  the  more  keenly 
interested  in  this  evidence  of  progress  in  the  world  below 
from  having  been  themselves  connected  with  telegraphing 
in  a  modest  way.  At  all  events,  they  regarded  the  yellow 
messenger  as  one  of  their  most  significant  possessions,  and 


A  SCRAP  OF  PAPER  261 

skewered  it  against  the  chimney  through  the  very  hole 
made  by  the  dry  twig  which  had  held  it  so  long  under  the 
cover  of  the  rock  awaiting  their  inspection. 

It  was  near  the  end  of  July  now,  and  the  spears  of  com 
which  had  thrust  their  tiny  dark-green  lances  out  of  the 
mellow  earth  had  first  turned  yellow,  and  then  withered 
and  died.  A  few  plants  here  and  there  had  escaped  the 
ravages  of  the  grubs,  but  the  yield  would  be  insignificant, 
and  they  were  good  enough  farmers  by  this  time  to  know 
that  to  plant  more  would  be  only  a  waste  of  the  small  store 
of  food  they  had  left.  If  the  lives  of  the  fowls  had  been 
spared,  it  might  have  been  different.  At  the  time  the 
ground  had  been  spaded  the  five  sad  roosters  had  done  all 
that  lay  in  their  power  to  exterminate  the  grubs,  but  their 
capacity  was  not  the  capacity  of  the  four  hundred  fowls 
of  the  season  before. 

The  potatoes  had  suffered,  though  in  less  degree,  from 
the  same  hidden  enemy;  and  unless  something  could  be 
done  to  increase  their  food-supply  the  three  soldiers  would 
be  reduced  to  the  verge  of  starvation  before  another  winter 
came  around.  They  might  yet  be  forced  to  abandon  their 
vegetarian  principles  and  to  eat  the  bear  and  the  six  old 
roosters.  Rather  than  do  anything  so  inhuman,  they 
declared  they  would  find  some  way  to  open  communica- 
tion with  the  people  in  the  valley.  They  might  easily  have 
planted  a  larger  area  in  former  years,  and  stored  up  corn 
against  a  failure  in  the  crop,  but  of  this  they  had  never 
thought. 

The  morning  after  they  had  discovered  the  scrap  of 


262  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

paper  on  the  mica  shelf,  they  all  went  solemnly  to  the 
mill  and  watched  Philip  set  the  machinery  in  motion  and 
grind  the  first  of  the  nine  small  sacks  of  corn.  The  whir 
of  the  wheels  and  the  hum  of  the  stones  in  the  midst  of 
the  splashing  of  the  water  outside  made  the  sweetest  of 
music  in  their  ears,  but  the  song  of  the  mill  was  of  brief 
duration.  When  the  last  kernels  began  to  dance  on  the 
old  cavalry  boot-leg  in  the  bottom  of  the  hopper,  the  miller 
shut  off  the  water,  and  in  the  silence  that  followed  the 
three  soldiers  looked  ruefully  at  the  small  heap  of  yellow 
meal  on  the  floor  of  the  dusty  bin.  It  was  not  more  than 
enough  to  keep  themselves  and  the  paralyzed  old  rooster 
alive  for  a  week.  If  they  relied  upon  the  meal  alone,  in 
nine  weeks  they  would  be  out  of  bread,  and  the  golden 
mill  would  be  a  useless  possession. 

Discovery  was  their  only  hope  of  further  subsistence. 
They  had  made  some  remarkable  finds  in  the  past,  but  at 
the  beginning  of  their  eighth  year  on  the  mountain  i1? 
would  seem  that  no  secrets  of  the  plateau  had  escaped  the 
prying  eyes  of  these  enterprising  young  men.  Philip  re- 
minded his  comrades  of  the  bee-tree,  which  was  un- 
doubtedly stored  with  honey,  beyond  the  southern  cliff, 
but  this  they  had  always  regarded  as  impassable.  From 
the  mica  shelf  they  could  see  that  it  was  a  narrow  ledge, 
and  not  a  higher  level ;  and  although  the  small  shelf  ex- 
tended a  trifle  beyond  it,  the  soldiers  had  seen  no  way  of 
scahng  the  rocks  which  rose  from  the  brambles  and  mica, 
so  as  to  reach  the  territory  beyond  the  southern  ledge. 

They  had  never  seen  these  rocks  from  above,  nor  any 


A  SCRAP  OF   PAPER  263 

part  of  the  brambly  half -acre,  for  the  reason  that  the  edge 
of  the  plateau  shelved  off  in  a  dangerous  incline  of  smooth 
granite,  which  it  was  not  possible  to  look  over.  Other- 
wise they  might  have  discovered  the  outside  half -acre  long 
before  they  found  the  cavernous  path  which  led  to  it. 
Bromley  now  proposed  to  be  lowered  to  the  outer  edge  of 
the  shelving  rock  by  means  of  the  breeches-buoy  which  had 
lifted  Philip  from  his  perilous  seat  on  the  avalanche.  It 
was  not  at  all  a  dangerous  experiment,  and  as  soon  as  he 
was  in  a  position  to  examine  the  rocks  below  the  base  of 
the  southern  cliff,  he  saw  a  narrow  ledge  which  would 
afford  a  sure  foothold,  and  which  led  away  upward  until 
it  was  lost  behind  the  rocks.  Although  invisible  from 
below,  it  could  be  reached  by  their  longest  ladder. 

Whether  the  path  along  the  ledge  would  enable  them 
to  reach  the  top  of  the  mountain  to  the  south  remained  to 
be  determined.  They  were  all  on  fire  with  the  fever  of 
exploration ;  and  they  had  no  doubt  that  the  rich  bee-tree 
would  reward  their  efforts  with  new  stores  of  honey.  That 
night,  by  means  of  the  canvas  strap,  they  lowered  their 
ladder  over  the  ledge  until  it  rested  on  the  mica  shelf. 

Next  morning,  bright  and  early,  Philip  got  out  his 
small  honey-box,  and  would  have  taken  the  old  paralytic 
rooster  along  but  for  the  implements  it  was  necessary  to 
carry.  Besides  their  torches,  in  passing  through  the  cav- 
ern their  hands  would  be  full  with  the  ax  and  a  pail  for 
water,  and  another  in  which  to  bring  back  the  honey. 

It  was  a  clear  July  day,  with  a  soft  south  wind  breath- 
ing on  the  mountain ;  and  when  the  three  soldiers  arrived 


264  THE   LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

on  their  brambly  half -acre  they  found  their  ladder  leaning 
safely  against  the  rocks  where  they  had  lowered  it.  After 
they  had  smothered  their  torches  and  laid  them  by  to 
await  their  return,  they  tried  the  ladder,  which  proved  to 
be  too  short  by  a  couple  of  rungs  to  reach  the  path  on  the 
cliff.  At  first  they  thought  they  should  be  obliged  to  re- 
tiurn  and  make  a  longer  one,  but  Lieutenant  Coleman  was 
something  of  an  engineer  on  fortifications,  and  under  his 
directions  they  fell  to  work  building  a  platform  of  stones 
and  timber,  which  afforded  the  ladder  a  secure  foundation 
and  raised  it  safely  to  the  brow  of  the  ledge. 

Bromley  went  ahead  with  the  ax,  and  Coleman  and 
PhiUp  followed  with  the  pails.  The  soldiers  had  brought 
along  their  overcoats  for  the  fight  with  the  bees;  and 
when  they  put  them  on  after  the  rough  exercise  of  han- 
dling the  stones,  they  found  them  rather  oppressive  to  theu' 
brown  shoulders,  whose  summer  costume  usually  consisted 
of  one  suspender.  Bromley  was  very  red  in  the  face  as 
he  pushed  along  on  the  rocky  path,  cutting  away  a  root 
or  an  overhanging  limb  which  obstructed  their  passage. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE   DESERTED   HOUSE 

^HE  path  up  which  the  three  soldiers  were 
climbing  was  not  a  path  at  all  in  the  sense  of 
its  having  been  worn  by  the  feet  of  men  or 
animals.  It  was  at  first  a  narrow  ledge,  and 
then  the  dry  bed  of  a  watercourse,  which  overflowed  for 
a  few  days  when  the  snows  melted  in  the  spring,  and  was 
waUed  in  by  an  outer  ledge,  and  turned  upward  at  an  easy 
incline  which  offered  no  serious  obstacle  to  the  progress 
of  the  explorers.  The  soldiers  halted  midway,  and  took 
off  their  oppressive  overcoats  and  wiped  their  red  faces. 

The  top  of  the  mountain  beyond  the  southern  wall  was 
about  half  the  area  of  their  own  plateau,  and,  to  the  con- 
sternation of  the  three  soldiers,  in  the  very  center  of  the 
tract  stood  a  log  house  flanked  by  some  tumble-down 
sheds.  This  unexpected  discovery  was  so  startling  that 
they  retreated  below  the  bank  for  consultation.  They  had 
no  doubt  that  the  bees  Philip  had  lined  came  from  the 
hives  of  these  people.  If  there  were  a  bee-tree  at  aU,  they 
would  not  be  allowed  to  cut  it.     Lieutenant  Coleman  was 

265 


266  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

at  first  disposed  to  return  without  revealing  themselves  to 
the  strangers.  Their  curiosity,  however,  was  so  roused, 
and  their  desire  was  so  great  to  learn  something  of  their 
neighbors,  that  the  three  soldiers  crept  back  until  only 
their  heads  were  above  the  edge  of  the  bank,  and  their 
wondering  eyes  fixed  on  the  house.  There  might  be 
women  there,  and  from  a  sense  of  modesty  each  man  got 
back  into  his  old  blue  overcoat.  They  talked  in  husky 
whispers  as  they  stared  through  the  bushes,  expecting 
every  moment  to  see  some  one  come  out  for  a  pail  of  water 
or  an  armful  of  wood. 

"  There  's  a  man  down  there  by  the  shed,"  whispered 
Philip ;  and  so  timid  of  their  kind  had  the  soldiers  become 
after  seven  years  of  seclusion,  during  which  they  had  not 
spoken  to  a  human  being,  that  they  ducked  their  three 
heads  in  a  tremble  of  excitement.  Presently  Bromley 
looked  again,  and  almost  laughed  out  loud ;  for  the  man 
was  only  a  stump  with  something  thrown  over  it  that 
stirred  with  the  wind. 

There  was  no  smoke  from  the  chimney ;  but  it  was  mid- 
way between  breakfast  and  dinner,  and  fire  was  not  to  be 
expected  at  that  hour  in  midsummer.  There  were  no  clothes 
hung  out  to  diy,  and  no  growing  crops  in  sight ;  but  there 
were  small  stacks  of  corn-stalks  at  different  points  on  the 
field,  and  these  were  in  every  stage  of  decay,  from  the 
conical  heap  overgrown  with  vines  to  the  flat  moimd  of 
gray  stalks  through  which  the  young  chestnuts  had 
sprouted  and  grown  to  a  thrifty  height.  A  forest  of  hop- 
vines  grew  over  the  eaves  of  the  house,  flaunting  their 


THE  DESERTED  HOUSE  267 

green  tendrils  in  the  soft  south  wind,  and  giving  an  un- 
mistakably home-like  air  to  the  place.  As  no  one  appeared 
after  an  hour's  watching,  it  was  more  than  likely  that  the 
family  was  absent  for  the  day  or  asleep  inside.  The 
longer  the  soldiers  waited,  the  greater  their  curiosity  be- 
came, and  then  they  remembered  their  scarcity  of  food, 
and  felt  the  gold  coins  in  their  pockets.  It  would  be 
fooUsh  to  return  without  buying  something  from  these 
neighbor-people.  Their  vow  was  not  to  go  down  from  the 
mountain;  and  if  they  neglected  this  opportunity  to 
supply  their  wants,  starvation  would  soon  drive  them  into 
the  Confederacy,  vow  or  no  vow. 

Bromley,  as  usual,  was  the  first  to  come  to  a  decision ; 
and  then  all  three  climbed  boldly  out  upon  the  bank  and 
prepared  to  visit  the  house.  As  they  advanced  over  the 
grass  they  buttoned  their  overcoats  more  closely  about 
their  throats,  and  jingled  the  coins  in  their  pockets  to  keep 
up  their  courage.  They  looked  down  at  their  bare  feet 
and  legs,  which  naturally  made  them  timid  at  the  prospect 
of  meeting  women ;  and  so,  huddled  together  for  support, 
they  crossed  the  dry  chip  dirt,  and  came  around  the 
corner  of  the  house.  The  door  stood  open  above  the 
smooth  stone  step,  and  Bromley  struck  it  with  his  knuckles, 
whiLe  his  comrades  waited  behind  him,  feeling  instinc- 
tively, in  their  momentary  embarrassment,  for  their  collars 
and  wristbands,  which  had  never  before  been  out  of  their 
reach  in  the  presence  of  the  other  sex.  If  they  had  been 
less  embarrassed  they  would  have  noticed  the  utter  ab- 
sence of  all  signs  of  habitation  outside  the  house,  and  that 

15 


268  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

the  door  itself  was  sagging  inward  from  its  rusty  hinges. 
The  interior  was  darkened  by  the  sliding  boards  which 
closed  the  windows,  and  gave  forth  a  musty,  earthy  smell. 

"  There 's  nobody  lives  here,"  said  Bromley,  in  his  strong, 
natural  voice,  at  which  Coleman  and  Philip  were  startled 
into  a  small  spasm  of  feeling  again  for  their  shirt-collars ; 
and  then,  as  he  gave  a  kick  to  the  lurching  door,  they 
dropped  their  nervous  fingers  and  followed  him  in.  Brom- 
ley opened  one  of  the  windows,  which  let  in  but  a  dim 
light  because  of  the  thick  mat  of  hop- vines  which  had 
overgrown  it.  The  first  object  that  caught  the  eyes  of  the 
soldiers  was  a  considerable  library  of  books  crowded  to- 
gether on  three  shelves  above  the  fireplace. 

Philip  had  his  hand  at  once  on  the  familiar  cover  of 
"  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin  " ;  Bromley  took  down  a  faded  volume 
of  the  "Anti-Slavery  Record"  for  the  year  1836;  and 
Coleman  went  outside  the  door  to  examine  a  small  book 
which  bore  in  gilded  letters  on  the  cover,  "  The  Branded 
Hand."  On  the  title-page  there  was  a  woodcut  of  a  hand 
with  two  S's  on  the  open  palm.  The  story  w^s  of  the 
trial  and  imprisonment  of  Jonathan  Waller,  or  Walker, 
at  Pensacola,  Florida;  and  a  few  pages  on,  the  author 
was  shown  dripping  with  perspiration  in  the  pillory. 
This  book  had  been  published  in  1845,  and  Lieutenant 
Coleman  dropped  it  on  the  door-step  and  hastened  back 
to  find  something  more  modem.  In  fact,  the  three  soldiers 
were  moved  by  the  same  desire  to  find  something— any- 
thing—that  had  been  printed  since  the  year  1864.  So  it 
was  with  the  greatest  disgust  that  they  took  from  the  lower 


THE  DESERTED  HOUSE. 


THE  DESERTED  HOUSE  271 

shelf  and  threw  down,  one  after  another,  such  ancient 
history  as  "  Captain  Canot ;  or,  Twenty  Years  of  an  Afri- 
can Slaver,"  1854 ;  "  The  Alton  Riots,"  by  Rev.  Edward 
Beecher,  1838  ;  "  Abohtion  a  Sedition,"  1839 ;  "Memoir  of 
Rev.  Elijah  P.  Lovejoy,"  1838 ;  and  "  Slavery  Unmasked," 
1856.  There  were  other  curious  works  on  the  same  sub- 
ject, bearing  equally  remote  dates. 

On  the  second  shelf  there  was  a  mixed  collection  of  thin 
periodicals  in  blue,  yellow,  and  gray  covers,  such  as  "  The 
Quarterly  Anti-Slavery  Magazine,"  "The  Emancipator," 
and  "  The  Slave's  Friend,"  and  several  volumes  of  speeches 
by  William  Lloyd  Garrison  and  Wendell  Phillips,  bearing 
date  as  late  as  1858. 

The  upper  shelf  was  filled  with  small  books  and  pam- 
phlets on  temperance  and  prohibition,  not  one  of  which 
had  been  published  since  the  year  1852. 

Lieutenant  Coleman  and  Bromley  were  so  keenly  dis- 
appointed at  finding  among  so  many  books  nothing  that 
threw  any  Light  on  the  state  of  the  country  since  their  ar- 
rival on  the  mountain,  that  they  were  almost  tempted  to 
throw  the  library  into  the  fireplace  and  burn  it  up  by 
starting  a  fire  with  their  fiints. 

The  perfect  order  in  which  the  books  had  been  arranged 
was  strangely  in  contrast  with  the  otherwise  wrecked  con- 
dition of  the  room.  The  excitement  of  the  soldiers  on 
seeing  the  library  had  prevented  them  from  noticing  that 
the  hearthstone  had  been  wrenched  from  its  original 
position,  and  that  the  earth  had  been  dug  out  to  some 
depth  beneath  it  and  thrown  in  a  heap  against  the  edge  of 


272  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

the  single  bunk  by  the  south  wall.  Stones  had  been  pried 
fi'om  the  back  of  the  chimney,  and  there  was  abundant 
evidence  that  some  person  had  been  hunting  for  treasure. 
The  rusty  spade  with  which  the  digging  had  been  done 
lay  in  the  fireplace,  where  it  had  been  thrown  by  the  baffled 
robber.  The  bedtick  had  been  ripped  open  with  a  knife, 
and  the  straw  with  which  it  had  been  filled  was  scattered 
over  the  dry  earth  on  the  floor.  The  blankets  and  every- 
thing of  value  in  the  house  had  been  carried  away.  It 
might  be  that  murder  had  been  committed  here  as  well  as 
robbery.  As  there  was  no  stain  of  blood  on  the  mattress 
or  on  the  floor.  Lieutenant  Coleman  concluded  that  the 
robber  was  only  a  cowardly  thief  who  had  stolen  the 
property  from  the  deserted  cabin.  It  would  seem,  how- 
ever, that  this  man  had  had  some  knowledge  of  the  dead 
mountaineer  which  had  caused  him  to  suspect  that  there 
was  hidden  treasure  in  the  house.  Possibly  he  had  found 
what  he  sought. 

The  discovery  of  the  house  and  its  contents  was  so  star- 
tling that  the  soldiers  forgot  aU  about  the  bee-tree  they 
had  come  in  search  of.  The  absence  of  everything  in  the 
nature  of  food  forced  itself  upon  their  minds,  as  they  felt 
the  coins  in  their  pockets.  There  might  be  corn  in  one  of 
the  tumbledown  outhouses.  Both  were  sadly  decayed  and 
broken  by  the  winds  and  storms  to  which  the  strong  walls 
and  good  roof  of  the  house  had  not  yet  yielded.  The 
first  shed  contained  a  small  heap  of  wood  and  a  rusty  ax, 
and  the  other  appeared  to  have  been  used  as  a  cow-stall. 

The  paths  were  overgrown  with  grass,  which  indicated 


THE  DESERTED  HOUSE  273 

that  years  had  passed  since  the  place  had  been  inhabited. 
The  good  order  in  which  the  books  had  been  left  led  the 
soldiers  to  doubt  if  the  place  had  been  visited  since  the 
robber  had  gone  away.  It  was  true  that  the  library  was  of 
a  character  that  would  be  undesirable  in  a  slaveholding 
Confederacy ;  and  if  any  one  had  seen  it  since  the  robbery, 
it  was  strange  that  he  had  not  destroyed  the  objection- 
able books. 

This  state  of  things  was  so  puzzling  to  Lieutenant  Cole- 
man and  his  comrades  that  they  set  out  at  once  to  make 
the  circuit  of  this  small  tract  on  the  mountain-top,  which 
they  naturally  believed  must  be  somewhat  difficult  of  ac- 
cess. There  must  be  a  road  that  led  to  it.  The  robber 
might  have  climbed  over  the  rocks,  through  some  difficult 
pass,  and  so  might  the  owner  of  the  house ;  but  the  cow-shed 
would  make  it  seem  that  domestic  animals  had  been  driven 
up  from  the  valley.  The  western  front  was  the  boulder  side 
of  the  mountain,  and  as  unapproachable  here  as  on  their 
own  plateau.  After  the  most  careful  exploration,  the  re- 
maining sides  were  found  to  be  of  the  same  character  as 
the  Cashiers  valley  side  beyond  the  dividing  cliff.  This 
smaller  tract  of  mountain-top  was  supported  by  sheer 
ledges  which  rose  above  the  forest  below.  There  might 
be  some  point  in  the  wall  where  a  man  could  scale  it  with 
the  help  of  a  long  ladder,  but  it  was  evident  that  no  cow 
had  ever  fed  in  that  stall. 

It  was  past  noon  now,  and  the  soldiers  sat  down  on  a 
rock  in  the  mild  sunlight  which  poured  over  the  dividing 
ledge,  and  talked  of  the  strange  situation. 


274  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

"  There  have  been  human  beings  here,"  said  Bromley ; 
"  at  least  two  of  them :  the  fellow  who  lived  in  that  house, 
and  the  robber  who  looted  it.  Now  I  am  not  much  of  a 
detective,  but  it  is  certainly  our  business  to  find  out  how 
they  got  here  and  how  they  got  away." 

"How  the  robber  got  away,"  suggested  Coleman;  ''for 
there  is  no  doubt  in  my  mind  that  the  man  who  lived  here 
was  his  victim." 

"  Yes,"  said  Philip,  "  I  am  certain  there  was  a  murder 
committed  here.  Don't  you  see  that  if  the  murderer  had 
carried  off  the  books  they  would  have  been  evidence  against 
him  sufficient  to  have  convicted  him  of  the  crime  ? " 

This  view  of  Philip's  was  so  plausible  that  the  others 
adopted  it.  They  assumed  that  the  unfortunate  victim 
had  been  shot  in  the  open  field,  and  buried  where  he  fell. 
If  the  crime  had  been  committed  so  long  ago  that  the 
grass  had  found  time  to  take  root  in  the  hard  paths,  it 
would  have  long  since  overgrown  the  shallow  grave.  Then 
it  occurred  to  the  soldiers,  who  had  helped  to  bury  the  dead 
on  more  than  one  battle-field,  that  as  time  passes  a  shallow 
grave  has  a  way  of  sinking.  The  murderer  would  have 
been  careful  not  to  raise  a  mound,  and  the  very  place  of 
his  crime  should  by  this  time  be  plainly  marked  by  a 
long  grassy  hollow. 

They  started  at  once  to  search  for  the  grave ;  but  they 
were  thirsty,  not  to  say  hungry,  after  their  exertions  of 
the  morning,  and  so  they  went  first  to  a  spring  which  they 
had  seen  near  the  head  of  the  path  where  they  had  climbed 
up.     It  was  a  large  bubbling  spring,  and  flowed  under 


THE  DESERTED  HOUSE  275 

the  rocks  so  nearly  opposite  to  where  the  branch  appeared 
on  the  other  side  that  they  knew  it  was  the  source  of  their 
own  supply.  It  was  not  pleasant  to  think  how  easily  their 
neighbor  in  his  lifetime  might  have  turned  it  in  some  other 
direction,  thus  stopping  the  wheels  of  their  mill,  and  pos- 
sibly leaving  them  to  perish  of  thirst. 

After  they  had  lain  down  on  the  ground  and  drunk 
from  the  spring,  they  turned  in  the  direction  of  the  lonely 
house,  flattering  themselves  that  they  were,  after  all,  pretty 
clever  detectives.  By  putting  together  the  facts  which 
they  had  now  determined  and  proved,  they  had  made  a 
rather  shrewd  beginning  at  the  discovery  of  a  crime. 
They  agreed,  as  they  went  along,  that  nothing  further 
should  be  disturbed  within  or  without  the  house  until  they 
should  have  unraveled  the  histoiy  of  the  foul  murder. 
That  was,  they  believed,  the  method  observed  by  the  best 
detectives  and  coroners.  They  might  not  establish  their 
theory  to-day  or  to-morrow,  but  they  could  go  and  come 
by  the  new  path  they  had  found,  and  sooner  or  later  they 
would  force  the  secret  from  the  mute  objects  in  the  midst 
of  which  the  crime  had  been  committed. 

As  they  arrived  at  this  united  and  enthusiastic  decision, 
they  were  approaching  the  house  on  the  opposite  side  to 
that  which  they  had  passed  on  their  first  coming.  The 
turf  was  so  firmly  rooted  here  that  it  was  not  easy  to 
determine  whether  there  had  or  had  not  been  a  garden 
on  this  side.  A  thick  clump  of  young  chestnut-trees 
had  grown  up  since  cultivation  had  been  suspended,  and 
as  the  three   soldiers  turned  around  these,  they  came 


276  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

suddenly  upon  something  which  exploded  their  fine-spun 
theories. 

It  was  nothing  less  than  a  grave  with  an  uncommonly 
high  mound  above  it,  and  marked  at  the  head  by  a  broad 
slab  of  oak.  Besides  the  wild-rose  bush  which  grew  out 
of  the  matted  grass  on  the  mound,  there  was  another  ob- 
ject which  staggered  the  soldiers  more  than  the  grave  it- 
self. On  the  upper  part  of  the  headboard  the  following 
inscription  was  deeply  cut : 

HERE 

REST  THE  BONES 

OF 

HEZEKIAH  WALLSTOW 

ABOLITIONIST 

AND 

APOSTLE  OF  TEMPERANCE 

WHO  DIED 

Here  ended  the  letters,  which  were  cut  with  a  knife,  evi- 
dently by  the  said  Hezekiah  himself,  with  the  expenditure 
of  much  time  and  patience.  Below,  the  inscription  was 
continued  with  black  paint,  half  written  and  half  printed 
in  one  ungrammatical  and  badly  spelled  sentence : 

Hit  was  sumwhar  betune 
April  26  &  Juin  the  4, 

1858. 

The  other  object,  found  lying  across  the  grave,  was  the 
skeleton  of  the  cow,  whose  crumpled  horns  were  attached 


THE  DESERTED  HOUSE  279 

to  the  bleached  skull,  and  whose  white  ribs  provided  a 
trellis  for  the  rose-bush.  Strangest  of  all  strange  things 
in  this  mysterious  affair,  one  horn  of  the  skeleton  was 
hooked  over  the  top  of  the  slab  so  as  to  hold  the  great 
skull  reversed  close  against  the  headboard  on  the  side 
opposite  to  the  inscription.  Evidently  the  faithful  crea- 
ture had  died  of  starvation  during  the  winter  which  fol- 
lowed the  death  of  her  master.  By  accident  or  through  a 
singular  exhibition  of  affection,  she  had  lain  down  to 
die  on  the  hard  snow  which  was  banked  high  above  the 
grave,  and  as  this  melted  the  head  of  the  cow  had  lodged 
in  this  remarkable  position. 

"Well,"  said  Philip,  with  a  sigh  for  his  pet  theory, 
"  whoever  he  was  and  however  he  came  here,  his  name  was 
Hezekiah  WaUstow,  and  there  was  no  murder  after  all— 
unless  a  third  man  came  to  bury  him." 

"  That 's  all  settled,"  said  Bromley,  resignedly ;  "  but 
how  about  the  cow  ?    Did  she  come  here  in  a  balloon  ? " 

''  My  dear  fellow,"  said  Lieutenant  Coleman,  "  we  have 
not  yet  found  how  the  men  got  here.  When  we  learn  that, 
it  may  make  all  the  rest  plain." 

Without  entering  the  house  again,  the  soldiers  made  a 
second  circuit  of  the  field,  examining  carefully  every  foot 
of  the  cliffs.  They  were  absolutely  certain  now  that  there 
was  no  road  or  path  leading  to  this  smaller  plateau  except 
that  by  which  they  themselves  had  come ;  and  yet  here 
were  the  bones  of  a  full-grown  cow  and  the  ruined  stall 
which  had  at  some  time  been  her  winter  quarters.  They 
next  examined  the  heaps  of  stalks,  which  were  sixteen  in 


280  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

number,  and  represented  that  many  harvests;  but  the 
older  ones  were  little  more  than  a  thin  layer  of  decayed 
litter  through  which  the  grass  and  bushes  had  grown  up. 
There  might  have  been  many  others  of  an  earlier  date,  all 
traces  of  which  had  long  since  disappeared.  At  first  it 
seemed  strange  that  a  cow  should  have  starved  in  the 
deepest  snow  in  the  midst  of  such  surroundings.  On  a 
closer  examination,  however,  it  appeared  that  the  tops  of 
the  two  larger  stacks  had  been  much  torn,  and  the  stiff 
stalks  cropped  bare  of  leaves.  It  was  plain  enqugh  that 
the  lean  cow  had  wandered  here  on  the  hard  crust  of  the 
snow  and  scattered  the  stalks  as  she  fed.  Even  now  these 
could  be  seen  lying  all  about  in  the  grass  where  they  had 
lodged  when  the  snow  melted.  Under  one  of  the  stacks 
another  skull  was  found,  the  owner  of  which  must  have 
died  before  the  cow,  or  have  been  killed  for  beef.  Instead 
of  one,  two  domestic  animals,  then,  had  cropped  the  grass 
and  switched  at  the  flies  on  this  plateau  which  was  sur- 
rounded by  inaccessible  cliffs.     How  did  they  come  there  ? 

By  sunset  the  soldiers  were  no  nearer  to  a  solution  of 
this  difficult  problem,  and  so  they  filled  their  two  pails 
with  antislavery  books,  and  returned  to  ponder  and  wonder 
in  the  society  of  the  bear  and  the  six  sad  roosters. 

They  could  sleep  but  little  after  such  a  day  of  excite- 
ment, and  they  were  scarcely  refreshed  by  their  night's 
rest  when  they  returned  on  the  following  day  to  the  de- 
serted house.  This  time  they  left  their  overcoats  at  home, 
and  took  with  them  a  loaf  of  corn -bread  for  luncheon,  and 
the  pails,  in  which  they  intended  to  bring  back  more  books. 


THE  DESERTED  HOUSE  281 

They  halted  again  before  the  oak  slab  bearing  the  name 
of  Hezekiah  Wallstow,  apostle  of  temperance,  etc.,  and 
crowned  by  the  mourning  skull  of  the  cow,  as  if  to  as- 
sure themselves  of  the  reahty  of  what  they  had  seen,  and 
then  they  walked  humbly  into  the  house.  They  could 
think  of  no  guiding  clue  to  start  them  in  the  solution  of 
the  problem  of  the  cattle,  and  so  they  weakly  yielded  to 
their  curiosity  about  the  books.  Bromley  cut  away  the 
thicket  of  hop-vines  which  darkened  the  two  windows, 
and  in  the  improved  light  they  fell  to  examining  the 
coarse  woodcuts  of  runaway  slaves  with  their  small  belong- 
ings tied  up  in  a  pocket-handkerchief,  which  headed  certain 
advertisements  in  the  periodicals.  ''The  Adventures  of 
Captain  Canot "  was  a  thick  book  with  numerous  illustra- 
tions of  a  distressing  character.  In  one  picture  a  jolly 
sailor  with  a  pipe  in  his  mouth  was  smilingly  branding  the 
back  of  an  African  woman,  while  another  sailor  stood  by 
with  a  lantern  in  broad  daylight.  They  hoped  to  find  an 
account-book  or  a  diary,  but  there  was  nothing  of  the  sort 
on  the  shelves  beyond  one  or  two  entries  in  pencil  on  a 
fly-leaf  of  the  "  Memoir  of  Rev.  Ehjah  P.  Lovejoy,"  acknow- 
ledging the  receipt  of  a  cask  of  meal  or  a  quarter  of  lamb. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

STARVATION 

[  OLLOWING  their  first  visit,  the  three  soldiers 
returned  dui'ing  four  successive  days  to  the  de- 
serted house  and  the  field  surrounding  it.  By 
this  time  they  had  carried  home  the  last  of  the 
books  by  pailfuls,  making  the  long  journey  through  the 
cave  of  the  bats  by  torch-light ;  but  they  had  arrived  no 
nearer  to  the  solution  of  the  riddle  of  the  cattle.  In  fact, 
•so  long  as  any  part  of  the  library  remained  where  they 
had  found  it,  they  had  come  to  wander  hopelessly  in  the 
early  morning  along  the  ledges  which  upheld  the  smaller 
plateau,  and  then  retire  to  the  cool  house  to  read. 

After  the  books  had  been  removed  by  the  soldiers  to 
their  own  side  of  the  dividing  cliff,  they  found  it  so  hard 
to  leave  them  that  they  stopped  at  home  for  a  whole  week, 
reading  by  turns  and  worrying  themselves  thin  about  the 
bones  of  the  cattle.  They  had  abundant  need  at  this  time 
to  keep  their  flesh  and  spirits,  for  two  more  of  the  nine 
sacks  of  corn  had  been  ground  in  the  mUl,  and  the  pros- 
pect for  the  future  was  more  dismal  than  ever.     The  end 

282 


STARVATION  283 

of  this  week  of  inaction,  however,  found  the  three  soldiers 
in  the  early  morning  again  standing  by  the  deserted  house. 

Lieutenant  Coleman  had  a  systematic,  military  mind, 
and,  now  the  diverting  books  were  out  of  their  reach,  he 
stated  the  problem  to  his  companions  in  this  direct  and 
concise  way : 

''  We  know  that  two  cattle  have  lived  and  died  on  this 
field." 

"  Undoubtedly,"  replied  Bromley  and  Philip. 

"  We  have  examined  three  sides  of  the  field,  and  found 
that  the  cattle  could  not  have  come  from  either  of  those 
dii'ections.    Is  not  that  so "? " 

"  It  is  absolutely  certain,"  said  the  others. 

"Therefore,"  continued  Lieutenant  Coleman,  "they 
must  have  come  by  the  fourth  side." 

This  conclusion  was  admitted  to  be  logical ;  but  it  pro- 
voked a  storm  of  argument,  in  the  course  of  which  the 
soldiers  got  wild-eyed  and  red  in  the  face.  In  the  end, 
however,  they  consented  to  trim  out  the  bushes  which 
formed  a  thicket  along  the  base  of  the  ledge.  It  seemed 
to  Lieutenant  Coleman  that  they  must  find  some  passage 
here,  and,  sure  enough,  not  far  from  the  middle  of  this 
natural  wall  they  came  upon  a  low-browed  opening,  which 
presently  narrowed  down  to  a  space  not  much  more  than 
five  feet  square.  The  farther  end  of  this  tunnel  was  closed 
by  a  pile  of  loose  earth,  which  was  spread  out  at  the  base, 
and  had  every  appearance  of  having  been  thrown  in  from 
the  other  side  of  the  ledge.  The  rusty  shovel  was  brought 
from  the  fireplace  of  the  house,  and  after  a  few  minutes  of 


284  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

vigorous  digging,  a  ray  of  light  broke  through  the  roots 
and  grass  near  the  roof  of  the  hole.  The  soldiers  gave  a 
wild  cheer,  and  rushed  out  into  the  fresh  air  to  cool  off. 

"  That  settles  it,"  said  Lieutenant  Coleman.  "  Hezekiah 
"Wallstow  was  the  old  man  of  the  mountain,  and  after 
Josiah  Woodring  buried  him  he  filled  up  this  passage. 
The  treasure  he  was  searching  for  was  the  very  cask  of 
gold  we  dug  out  of  the  fake  grave— thanks  to  the  sacri- 
legious behavior  of  the  bear." 

"  But  how  about  the  cattle  ? "  said  Bromley,  still  skep- 
tical. 

"  Easy  enough,"  said  Coleman,  triumphantly.  "  They 
brought  two  young  calves  up  the  ladders." 

This  hitherto  unsuspected  passage  through  the  ledge 
made  everything  clear.  It  had  evidently  been  wide  open 
during  all  the  years  the  old  man  had  lived  on  the  mountain. 
It  might  have  been  screened  by  bushes  so  that  any  chance 
visitors,  like  the  hunters  who  came  over  the  bridge,  would 
be  easUy  deceived,  and  not  disposed  to  look  farther  than 
the  ruined  cabin  and  the  non-committal  gravestone. 

It  was  not  strange  that  the  three  soldiers  had  never  sus- 
pected that  there  was  an  opening  here  through  the  rocks, 
for  a  four-pronged  chestnut  had  taken  firm  root  in  the 
grassy  bank  which  Josiah  had  thrown  up,  and  the  old  man 
had  been  dead  six  years  when  they  first  arrived  on  the 
mountain.  How  soon  after  the  burial  the  passageway  had 
been  closed,  it  was  not  so  easy  to  determine,  but  numerous 
hollows  which  were  afterward  found  near  certain  trees  and 
rocks  on  the  smaller  plateau  made  it  look  as  if  Josiah  had 


STARVATION  285 

spent  a  good  many  moonlight  nights  in  digging  for  the 
treasure  before  he  gave  it  up  altogether.  According  to 
the  story  of  Andy,  the  guide,  Josiah  himself  must  have 
died  soon  after  his  strange  patron,  and  most  likely  he 
closed  the  entrance  to  the  passage  in  despair  when  he  felt 
his  last  illness  approaching.  There  was  still  much  for  the 
soldiers  to  learn  about  the  motive  of  the  hermit  in  bury- 
ing his  surplus  gold.  The  comforts  with  which  he  had 
surrounded  himself  would  indicate  that  he  was  no  miser, 
and  his  devotion  to  the  cause  of  the  slave  made  it  extremely 
probable  that  he  had  willed  his  treasure  to  some  emanci- 
pation society,  which  had  not  succeeded  in  reclaiming  it 
before  the  war,  and  which,  for  plenty  of  reasons,  had  not 
been  able  to  secure  it  since. 

After  the  soldiers  had  reopened  the  passage  through  the 
dividing  cliff  so  that  they  could  pass  readily  from  one 
plateau  to  the  other,  they  suspended  further  investigation 
and  yielded  to  the  luxury  of  reading,  which  had  been  de- 
nied them  so  long.  The  more  they  read  of  this  peculiar 
literature  from  the  library  left  by  Hezekiah  Wallstow,  the 
more  interested  they  became  in  the  cause  of  the  slave  who, 
they  believed,  had  been  made  free  on  paper  by  the  impo- 
tent proclamation  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  only  to  have  his 
fetters  more  firmly  riveted  than  ever  by  the  success  of  the 
Confederate  arms. 

Among  the  other  books  there  was  one  entitled  ''  Two- 
fold Slavery  of  the  United  States."  This  book  had  been 
published  in  London  in  the  year  1854,  and  contained  as  a 
frontispiece  a  black-and-white  map,  which,  so  far  west  as 


286  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

it  extended,  was  remarkably  like  the  one  which  hung  on 
the  wall  of  their  house.  Philip  shed  new  tears  over  the 
pathetic  lives  of  Uncle  Tom  and  little  Eva,  and  Lieutenant 
Coleman  and  George  Bromley  grew  more  and  more  indig- 
nant as  they  read  of  the  sufferings  of  the  Rev.  Elijah  P. 
Lovejoy,  and  the  self-confessed  cruelties  of  Captain  Carnot. 
However  much  the  soldiers  were  wrought  up  by  these 
books,  it  was  left  to  the  mass  of  pamphlets  and  periodicals 
to  fill  their  hearts  with  an  unspeakable  bitterness  toward 
the  institution  which  the  united  efforts  of  their  comrades 
in  arms  had  failed  to  overthrow. 

It  was  evident  that  the  old  man  had  kept  up  some  sort 
of  communication  by  mail  with  the  Boston  abolitionists, 
and  that  his  agent,  Josiah,  had  yielded  his  views,  if  he  had 
any,  to  a  liberal  supply  of  gold ;  for  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death  he  had  continued  to  receive  these  periodicals.  As 
long  as  he  received  such  dangerous  publications,  he  must 
have  maintained  correspondence  with  their  editors ;  and 
the  more  the  soldiers  became  imbued  by  their  reading  with 
the  ideas  which  had  made  a  hermit  of  Hezekiah  Wallstow, 
the  more  certain  they  became  that  he  had  willed  his  money 
to  the  cause  of  abolition,  or  perhaps  that  he  only  held  it 
in  trust  from  the  first.  Otherwise,  why  should  he  have 
adopted  so  crafty  a  method  of  hiding  it  from  Josiah? 
To  speculate  on  the  cunning  of  these  two  men  became  a 
favorite  occupation  of  Coleman  and  Bromley  when  their 
eyes  were  worn  out  with  reading.  They  were  sure  that 
every  fresh  lot  of  pamphlets  had  come,  through  the  settle- 
ment and  up  the  mountain,  at  the  bottom  of  a  cask  of  meal. 


STAEVATION  287 

The  old  man  had  no  min  or  other  means  of  grinding  his 
com,  which  he  must  have  cultivated  for  his  cattle,  relying 
upon  Josiah  for  most  of  his  food.  Undoubtedly  the  very 
keg  which  the  hunters  had  seen  Josiah  carrying  up  by 
moonlight,  and  which  they  believed  was  filled  with  whisky, 
contained  seditious  literature  enough,  if  they  had  ever 
found  it,  to  have  put  them  to  the  unpleasant  necessity  of 
hanging  the  bearer  to  the  nearest  limb. 

So  the  soldiers  continued  to  read,  to  the  neglect  of  every 
other  duty,  through  the  entire  month  of  August,  except 
that  Lieutenant  Coleman  made  a  brief  entry  in  the  diary 
each  morning,  and,  when  they  were  out  of  food,  Philip 
laid  by  his  book  long  enough  to  grind  another  sack  of  the 
corn.  The  few  ears  which  had  shown  themselves  on  the 
plantation  had  been  eaten  green,  and  the  yeUow  and  shriv- 
eled stalks  which  had  escaped  the  grub  at  the  root  stood 
in  thin,  sickly  rows.  It  was  an  off  year  even  for  the  chest- 
nuts. When,  in  addition  to  this,  it  was  found  in  Septem- 
ber that  the  potato  crop  had  rotted  in  the  ground,  the 
reading  was  brought  to  a  sudden  end,  and  the  soldiers 
found  themselves  face  to  face  with  a  condition  which 
threatened  starvation,  and  that  before  the  winter  began. 
They  remembered  the  bee-tree,  and  took  up  the  line  where 
Philip  had  left  it,  at  the  edge  of  the  southern  wall,  only 
to  find  that  the  bees  flew  on  to  some  tree  in  the  forest 
below  and  beyond  the  plateau. 

When  it  was  quite  settled  that  they  would  have  no  sup- 
plies for  the  winter  unless  they  bought  them  from  the  people 
in  the  valley  with  their  gold  pieces,  as  the  old  man  had 

16 


288  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

done  before  them,  they  settled  down  to  their  reading  again, 
foraging  by  turns  for  every  edible  thing  they  could  find, 
and  putting  off  the  evil  hour  when  they  should  be  forced 
to  reveal  themselves.  The  more  they  read  of  these  fiery 
periodicals  the  more  they  loathed  their  neighbors  in  the 
valley  and  shrank  from  communicating  with  them.  They 
knew  that  these  people  in  the  mountains  seldom  owned 
slaves  themselves ;  but  they  felt  that  they  were  in  f uU  sym- 
pathy with  all  the  cruelties  of  which  the  yellow-and-blue 
covered  pamphlets  treated.  If  the  guineas  in  the  hoard  of 
Hezekiah  Wallstow  meant  anything,  they  represented  the 
proportion  of  the  gold  which  had  been  contributed  by 
antislavery  societies  in  England ;  and  they  began  seriously 
to  consider  their  moral  obligation  to  return  the  entire  sum 
to  its  rightful  owners.  In  order  to  accomplish  this  just 
purpose,  their  lives  must  be  preserved  during  the  approach- 
ing winter,  and  seeds  secured  for  another  planting.  After 
that,  they  would  find  means  to  replace  with  iron  the  gold 
they  had  used  in  the  construction  of  the  mill  and  of 
various  domestic  utensils ;  and  when  the  treasure  was  re- 
stored to  the  cask,  they  would  find  some  way  to  open  com- 
munication with  the  benevolent  antislavery  societies. 

By  the  end  of  October  they  had  eaten  the  last  of  their 
meal.  There  were  a  few  clusters  of  purple  grapes  on  the 
vines,  and  to  these  they  turned  for  food,  still  dreading  to 
make  any  signs  to  their  enemies,  with  a  dread  which  was 
born  of  the  pamphlets  they  were  reading.  For  two  days 
more  they  stained  their  hands  and  faces  with  the  juice  of 
the  grapes,  until  an  exclusive  fruit  diet,  and  meditation 


STARVATION  289 

day  and  night  on  the  awful  wickedness  of  men,  weakened 
their  bodies  and  began  to  affect  their  minds. 

The  dread  hour  had  finally  come,  and  they  could  no 
longer  delay  making  signs  of  their  distress.  To  this  end 
they  collected  a  pile  of  dry  wood,  and  heaped  it  on  the 
point  of  rocks,  in  full  view  of  the  settlement  of  Cashiers. 
It  was  growing  dusk  when  everything  was  ready  to  start 
the  fire,  and  Philip  had  come  from  the  house  with  a  lighted 
torch.  At  the  moment  he  was  about  to  touch  it  to  the  dry 
wood,  Bromley  snatched  the  torch  from  his  hand  and  ex- 
tinguished it  in  the  dirt.  Coleman  and  Philip  tried  to 
prevent  this  rash  act  of  their  comrade,  and  in  their  excite- 
ment gave  free  expression  to  their  anger;  but  Bromley 
stamped  out  the  last  spark  of  the  fire  without  paying  any 
heed  to  their  bad  language  and  frantic  gestures. 

''  Are  you  mad  ? "  he  then  cried,  retreating  a  little  from 
what  threatened  to  be  an  assault.  "  What  do  you  think 
will  be  our  fate  at  the  hands  of  these  people,  when  we 
are  found  in  possession  of  such  books  as  we  have  been 
reading"?  We  should  be  imprisoned  like  Lovejoy,  or 
branded  like  Walker.  We  might  pay  with  our  lives  for 
your  recklessness  to-night." 

Philip  and  Coleman  were  shocked  at  the  danger  they 
had  so  narrowly  escaped,  and  thanked  Bromley  for  his 
forethought  and  prompt  action. 

Of  course  they  must  bury  the  books,  but  they  would 
have  all  of  the  next  day  to  attend  to  that ;  and  with  many 
expressions  of  thankfulness  they  returned  to  the  house  and 
crept  into  their  bunks.    When  morning  came  they  were 


290  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

weak  and  hungry,  with  nothing  whatever  to  eat ;  but  in 
spite  of  all  this  they  heaped  the  antislavery  books  and 
pamphlets  on  the  earthen  floor,  carefully  separating  them 
from  the  works  on  temperance.  They  had  come  to  regard 
these  books  as  little  less  than  sacred,  and  they  naturally 
shrank  from  burying  them  in  the  ground.  Happy  thought ! 
—there  was  the  cave  of  the  bats.  So,  packing  them  into 
the  pails,  the  soldiers  carried  the  books  in  two  toilsome 
journeys  by  torch-light  to  the  middle  of  the  cavernous  pas- 
sage, and  laid  them  carefully  together  on  the  stone  floor. 
They  were  well-nigh  exhausted  by  this  exertion ;  but  after 
a  rest  they  found  strength  to  close  the  entrance  with 
brush  and  earth,  and  to  cover  their  work  with  pine-needles. 

Half  famished  as  Lieutenant  Coleman  and  his  comrades 
were,  they  could  only  drink  from  the  branch  and  wait  pa- 
tiently for  night.  The  poor  old  paralyzed  rooster,  sitting 
in  the  chips  by  the  door,  looked  so  forlorn  and  hungry 
that  Philip  set  him  out  among  the  dry  weeds,  and  lay  down 
on  the  ground  beside  him,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  turn  him 
about  and  set  him  along  when  he  had  plucked  the  few 
seeds  in  his  front.  As  for  the  bear  and  the  five  crippled 
roosters,  they  shambled  and  hobbled  about,  and  shifted 
bravely  for  themselves. 

There  were  still  many  things  to  consider  as  to  how  they 
would  be  received  by  these  people,  and  what  success  they 
would  have  in  exchanging  United  States  gold  pieces  for 
food  and  clothing.  Perhaps  they  would  be  obliged  to  buy 
Confederate  notes  at  ruinous  rates  of  exchange.  Perhaps 
their  visitors  would  confiscate  their  gold  pieces  at  sight. 


THE  BEACON  FIKE. 


STARVATION  293 

and  take  them  down  the  mountain  as  State  prisoners. 
They  must  keep  some  coins  in  their  pockets  for  barter, 
which  was  their  object  in  summoning  their  dubious  neigh- 
bors ;  but  it  would  certainly  be  prudent  to  conceal  the  bulk 
of  their  money.  So  the  last  thing  the  soldiers  did  on  this 
November  afternoon  was  to  dump  the  gold  that  remained 
in  the  cask  into  a  hole  in  the  ground,  and  cover  it  up. 

As  soon  as  it  began  to  grow  dark  on  the  mountain  they 
set  fire  to  the  pile  of  wood,  which  was  presently  a  great 
tower  of  flame,  lighting  up  the  rocks  and  trees,  and  form- 
ing a  beacon  which  must  be  seen  from  valley  and  moun- 
tain for  miles  around.  At  that  hour,  and  in  the  glare  of 
their  own  fire,  they  could  see  nothing  of  its  effect  in  the 
settlement ;  but  they  were  sure  it  would  be  watched  by  the 
families  outside  every  cabin ;  and  in  this  belief  they  moved 
about  to  the  right  and  left  of  the  flames,  waving  their  arms 
in  token  of  their  distress. 

Surely  a  fire  on  this  mountain-top,  where  no  native  had 
set  foot  for  seven  long  years,  would  excite  the  wonder  of 
the  people  below.  It  could  be  kindled  only  by  human 
hands,  and  they  would  be  eager  to  know  to  whom  the 
hands  belonged. 

In  the  morning  the  three  soldiers  crept  out  to  the  smol- 
dering remains  of  their  fire,  which  was  still  sending  up  a 
thin  wi'eath  of  smoke.  On  the  distant  road  through  the 
valley  they  could  see  groups  of  tiny  people,  evidently 
watching  and  wondering.  They  could  come  no  nearer 
than  the  bridgeless  gorge,  and  so,  weak  as  the  soldiers 
were,  after  making  every  effort  to  show  themselves  in  the 


294  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

smoke,  they  made  theii*  way  to  the  head  of  the  ladders  and 
climbed  down  to  the  field  below.  Philip  stopped  behind 
to  run  up  the  old  flag  on  the  pole ;  for,  whatever  effect 
that  emblem  might  have  on  theii*  neighbors,  they  were  de- 
termined to  stand  by  their  colors.  They  found  a  few 
chestnuts  and  dried  berries  in  the  old  field,  which  they 
devoured  with  wolfish  hunger  as  they  crept  along  toward 
the  gorge. 

They  hoped  to  see  human  faces  on  the  opposite  bank 
when  they  arrived ;  but  there  was  no  one  there  to  meet 
them.  They  were  not  greatly  disappointed,  for  it  was  still 
early  in  the  day,  and  the  people  had  a  much  longer  jour- 
ney to  make  from  the  valley.  There  was  the  same  old-time 
stillness  on  that  part  of  the  mountain :  the  tinkling  brook 
in  the  bottom  of  the  gorge,  and  the  soughing  of  the  wind 
in  the  tops  of  the  tall  pines  on  the  other  side.  There  were 
still  some  sticks  of  the  old  bridge  wedged  in  the  top  of 
the  dead  basswood— the  bridge  which  had  served  the  old 
abolitionist  in  his  lifetime,  and  the  destruction  of  which 
had  served  the  purpose  of  the  soldiers  equally  well. 

The  mild  November  sunshine  lay  bright  on  the  faded 
landscape,  and  the  soldiers  sat  down  on  the  diy  grass  to 
await  the  coming  of  their  deliverers.  If  one  of  the  tall 
pines  had  been  standing  on  their  own  side  of  the  gorge 
they  would  have  used  their  last  strength  to  cut  it  down  and 
fell  it  across  the  chasm.  They  had  put  on  their  old  blue 
overcoats,  to  make  a  decent  appearance  before  the  people 
when  they  arrived ;  but  hour  after  hour  crept  slowly  by, 
and  nobody  came  except  Tumbler,  the  bear,  who  had  backed 


STARVATION  295 

down  the  ladders  and  shambled  across  the  field  to  join 
them.  By  the  sun  it  was  past  noon  when  he  came,  and  as 
he  seated  himself  silently  in  the  gloomy  circle,  he  made 
but  a  sorry  addition  to  the  anxious  waiters.  Why  did  no 
one  come  to  their  relief  ?  They  knew  that  their  fire  had 
been  seen  where  the  presence  of  a  human  being  would  be 
regarded  as  little  less  than  a  miracle  by  the  dwellers  in  the 
valley.  What  if  they  had  accepted  it  as  a  miracle  alto- 
gether, and  avoided  the  place  accordingly?  They  were 
ignorant  people,  and  therefore  superstitious ;  or  else  they 
were  as  cruel  and  heartless  as  they  were  described  in  the 
"  Weekly  Emancipator." 

The  rustling  wind  in  the  tree-tops,  and  the  occasional 
tapping  of  a  woodpecker  in  the  forest  beyond,  became 
hateful  sounds  to  their  impatient  ears.  Bromley,  who  was 
the  strongest  of  the  three,  and  the  more  indignant  that 
no  one  came  to  their  relief,  wandered  back  upon  the  old 
field,  where  he  found  a  few  more  chestnuts,  which  he  di- 
vided equally  with  his  half-famished  comrades.  Every 
mouthful  of  food  helped  to  keep  up  their  strength  and 
courage,  and  now  the  slanting  rays  of  the  afternoon  sun  re- 
minded them  that  they  must  repeat  their  signal,  and  that 
no  time  was  to  be  lost  in  gathering  wood  for  another  fire. 
There  was  still  hope  that  relief  woidd  come  before  dark, 
and  Philip  was  left  to  watch  with  the  bear,  while  Coleman 
and  Bromley  returned  to  the  plateau. 

The  postmaster  in  the  Cove  might  be  less  superstitious, 
they  thought,  or  less  hard-hearted  than  the  people  in  the 
valley.     If  their  strength  held  out  they  would  have  two 


296  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

fires  that  night.  No  chance  should  be  neglected.  As  Cole- 
man and  Bromley  dragged  together  a  few  dead  limbs  upon 
the  edge  of  the  great  boulder,  they  hoped  that  the  post- 
master had  found  the  remains  of  the  telescope,  as  they 
knew  he  had  found  the  army  blanket  which  fell  from  the 
balloon,  so  that  when  he  saw  their  fire  he  would  connect 
it,  in  his  mind,  with  the  other  objects  which  had  come 
down  from  the  mountain. 

It  was  after  sunset  when  Philip  and  Tumbler  appeared 
on  the  plateau.  No  one  had  come  even  so  far  as  the  gorge ; 
and  Philip  helped  to  carry  the  last  of  their  wood  to  the 
rocky  point  where  the  blackened  embers  of  the  first  fire 
lay  in  the  thin  ashes.  Coleman  and  Philip  remained  to 
kindle  this  beacon,  while  Bromley  went  to  the  Cove  side 
with  a  lighted  torch  and  a  bundle  of  fat  pine-knots.  When 
Bromley  saw  the  first  smoke  of  the  other  fire  across  the 
ridge,  no  light  had  yet  appeared  in  the  windows  of  the 
small  post-ofiice.  Moreover,  with  his  strong  eyes  he  was 
sure  he  saw  some  object  moving  along  the  road  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  office.  He  waited  a  little,  waving  his  torch, 
and  then  he  appKed  it  to  the  dry  leaves  and  sticks  at  the 
base  of  the  pile,  which  flashed  quickly  into  a  blaze.  Brom- 
ley was  not  content  to  move  about  in  the  light  replenish- 
ing his  fire,  but,  as  often  as  a  fat  pine-knot  had  become 
enveloped  in  flame,  he  separated  it  from  the  pile  and  poked 
it  over  the  edge  of  the  great  smooth  rock,  to  flare  against 
the  black  storm-stains  as  it  fell,  and  perhaps  to  start  a  new 
fire  in  the  Cove  bottom.  A  brisk  east  wind  was  blowing 
across  the  mountain,  which  carried  the  smoke  and  sparks 


STAEVATION  297 

over  the  long  roof  of  the  post-of&ce.  Bromley  remained 
late  at  his  work ;  but  at  last  his  strength  and  his  wUl-power 
yielded  to  the  weakness  that  comes  with  hunger.  An 
overpowering  drowsiness  compelled  him  to  leave  the  fire 
and  go  stumbling  over  the  hill  to  the  house,  where  he  found 
Coleman  and  Philip  already  asleep. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

THE   RESCUE 

■HEN  the  three  soldiers  awoke  on  the  morning 
which  followed  the  kindling  of  the  two  fires, 
Philip  was  too  ill  to  leave  his  bunk,  and  Lieu- 
tenant Coleman  and  Bromley  were  too  weak  to 
drag  themselves  as  far  as  the  rocks  where  the  embers  were 
still  smoking.  The  sun  was  shining  on  their  United  States 
window,  and  when  they  looked  out  at  the  door,  the  old  flag 
of  thirty-five  stars  was  floating  bravely  on  the  fresh  wind. 
"  Three  cheers  for  the  stars  and  stripes,  and  for  Sher- 
man Territory ! "  cried  Bromley,  and  the  weak  cheers  so 
exhausted  the  two  men  that  they  sat  down  on  the  wooden 
bench  in  a  state  of  collapse.  Faint  as  they  were  from 
hunger,  they  were  still  fainter  from  thirst,  and  after  a  mo- 
ment's rest  they  staggered  over  to  the  branch  and  drank 
their  fill  of  the  cool  water,  and  laved  their  feverish  faces 
in  the  stream.  They  brought  a  cup  of  the  water  to  Philip, 
who  lay  quietly  in  his  bunk,  and  was  altogether  so  weak 
that  they  were  obliged  to  hold  him  up  while  he  drank. 
"  There,  there,"  said  Coleman,  as  they  eased  him  back 

298 


THE  EESCUE  299 

on  his  pillow.  "You  must  keep  a  good  heart,  for  some 
one  will  surely  come  to  us  to-day." 

Philip  looked  brighter  for  the  draft  of  water,  but  he 
only  smiled  in  reply.  The  sun  was  warm  outside,  but  the 
act  of  drinking,  while  it  had  greatly  revived  and  encour- 
aged Coleman  and  Bromley,  had  so  chilled  their  starved 
bodies  that  they  put  on  their  overcoats  and  buttoned  them 
up  to  the  throat.  They  could  do  no  more  in  the  way  of 
calling  for  help  than  they  had  already  done.  Men  had  died 
of  starvation  before,  and  it  might  be  their  fate  to  perish 
of  hunger,  but  they  had  a  strong  faith  that  the  fires  they 
had  built  for  two  nights  on  this  uninhabited  mountain 
would  bring  some  one  to  their  relief.  They  regretted  now 
that  the  reading  of  the  abolition  books  had  influenced  them 
to  delay  so  long  their  appeal  for  help.  To  reach  them 
their  rescuers  must  fell  one  or  more  of  the  taU  pines  across 
the  bridgeless  gorge,  but  they  were  too  weak  to  go  down 
the  ladders,  and  what  wind  there  was  blew  across  the 
mountain  in  the  direction  of  the  gorge,  so  that  they  would 
not  be  able  to  hear  the  sound  of  an  ax  a  mile  away.  Time 
had  never  dragged  so  slowly  before.  The  sun  lay  in  at  the 
open  door,  and  by  the  marks  they  had  made  on  the  floor,  as 
well  as  by  the  shadows  cast  by  the  trees  outside,  they  could 
judge  closely  of  the  hour.  They  could  hardly  believe  that 
it  was  only  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  it  seemed  as  if 
they  had  already  passed  a  whole  day  in  vain  hope  of  relief. 

It  was  such  a  terrible  thing  to  await  starvation  in  the 
oppressive  stillness  of  the  mountain,  that  Bromley,  almost 
desperate  with  listening,  went  to  the  branch  and  hung  the 


300  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIEES 

bucket  on  the  arm  of  the  old  Slow-John,  which  presently 
began  to  pound  and  splash  in  its  measured  way.  Dismal 
as  the  sound  was,  it  gave  them  something  to  count,  and 
relieved  their  tired  ears  of  the  monotonous  flapping  of  the 
flag  and  of  the  rustling  of  the  barren  corn-stalks. 

They  talked  of  the  old  man  who  had  died  alone  on  the 
other  plateau.  He,  too,  might  have  died  of  starvation. 
There  were  no  signs  of  food  in  the  deserted  house  when 
they  had  discovered  it.  They  had  never  thought  of  it  be- 
fore, but  his  cunning  agent  might  have  been  a  villain  after 
aU,  He  might  have  grown  weary  at  last  of  lugging  casks 
up  the  mountain  by  moonhght,  and  getting  the  old  man's 
gold  by  slow  doles.  He  must  have  had  some  knowledge 
of  the  treasure  for  which  he  dug  so  persistently  afterward, 
and  in  his  greed  to  possess  it  he  might  have  deliberately 
starved  the  old  abolitionist.  They  thought  of  Hezekiah 
WaUstow  burning  beacon-fires  in  his  extremity,  when 
there  was  a  good  bridge  to  connect  the  mountain-top  with 
the  valley,  and  yet  he  was  left  to  die  alone.  The  thought 
was  not  encouraging  to  Coleman  and  Bromley  in  their 
weakened,  nervous  condition,  and  tended  to  make  them 
more  than  ever  distrustful  of  the  natives  to  whom  they 
had  appealed. 

They  withheld  these  disturbing  suspicions  from  Philip, 
but  the  more  they  pondered  on  the  subject  the  more  they 
were  convinced  of  the  barbarity  of  the  Confederates,  and 
of  their  determination  to  leave  them  to  their  fate. 

Lieutenant  Coleman  wi-ote  what  he  believed  to  be  the 
last  entry  in  the  diary.     It  was  November  7,  1871 ;  and 


THE  RESCUE  301 

on  the  prepared  paper  of  the  book  which  treated  of  deep- 
sea  fishing,  he  stated  briefly  their  starving  condition  and 
their  fruitless  efforts  to  summon  relief.  They  still  had  the 
tin  box  in  which  the  adamantine  candles  had  been  stored, 
and  into  this  Bromley  helped  to  pack  the  leaves  of  the 
diary,  already  neatly  tied  in  separate  packages,  and  labeled 
for  each  year.  If  he  had  had  a  little  more  strength  he 
would  have  carried  it  to  the  forge,  and  sealed  the  cover  of 
the  box  which  contained  the  record  of  their  lives.  As  it 
was,  they  set  it  on  the  mantelpiece  under  the  trophy  formed 
of  the  station  flags  and  the  swords  and  carbines,  and  laid 
a  weight  on  the  lid. 

After  this  was  accomplished.  Lieutenant  Coleman  lay 
down  and  turned  his  face  to  the  wall,  and  Bromley  seated 
himself  on  the  bench  outside  the  door,  too  stubborn  to  give 
up  all  hope  of  relief.  The  warm  sun  lighted  the  chip  dirt 
at  his  feet,  and  seemed  to  glorify  the  bright  colors  of  the 
old  flag  as  it  floated  from  the  staff.  He  forgot  his  desper- 
ate situation  for  a  moment,  as  his  mind  turned  back  to  the 
battle-days  when  he  had  seen  it  waving  in  the  sulphurous 
smoke.  It  gave  him  no  comfort,  however,  to  think  of  his 
old  comrades  and  the  dead  generals  and  the  cause  that  was 
lost ;  and  when  his  eyes  fell  on  the  ground  at  his  feet,  he 
tried  to  keep  them  fixed  on  a  tiny  ant  which  came  out  of 
a  crumbling  log.  The  small  thing  was  so  full  of  life,  dart- 
ing and  halting  and  turning  this  way  and  that !  Now  it 
disappeared  under  the  log,  and  then  it  came  out  again, 
roUing  a  kernel  of  corn  by  climbing  up  on  one  side  of  the 
grain,  to  fall  ignominiously  down  on  the  other.     Bromley 


302  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

was  just  about  to  pounce  on  the  grain  of  corn  and  crush 
it  between  his  teeth  when  he  heard  a  sound  on  the  hUl, 
and,  raising  his  eyes,  he  saw  two  men  coming  on  toward 
the  house.  They  carried  long  bird-rifles  on  their  shoulders, 
and  to  his  starved  vision  they  looked  to  be  of  gigantic  size 
against  the  sky. 

He  could  only  cry  out,  "  Fred !  Fred !   Here  they  come  !  " 

These  electric  words  brought  Coleman's  haggard  face  to 
the  door,  and  even  Philip  turned  in  his  blankets. 

The  strange  dress  and  wild  appearance  of  the  two  sol- 
diers clinging  to  the  door  of  the  house,  and  the  fantastic 
effect  of  the  afternoon  sun  on  the  stained-glass  window, 
as  if  the  interior  were  on  fire,  so  startled  the  strangers 
that  they  lowered  their  rifles  to  a  position  for  defense,  and 
turned  from  the  direct  approach,  until  they  had  gained  a 
position  among  the  rustling  corn-stalks  in  front  of  the 
door.  The  various  buildings  and  the  evidence  of  cultiva- 
tion on  the  mountain-top  staggered  the  visitors,  and  the 
haggard  faces  of  Coleman  and  Bromley  led  them  to  believe 
that  they  had  come  upon  a  camp  of  the  fabled  wild  men 
of  the  woods.  They  had  never  seen  a  stained-glass  window 
before,  and  to  their  minds  it  suggested  some  infernal 
magic,  so  the  two  valley-men  stood  elbow  to  elbow  in  an 
attitude  for  defense,  and  waited  for  the  others  to  speak. 

"  Come  on,  neighbors,"  said  Bromley,  holding  out  his 
empty  hands.     "  We  are  only  three  starving  men." 

One  of  the  valley-men  was  tall  and  lank,  and  the  other 
was  sturdily  built ;  and  at  these  pacific  words  of  Bromley 
they  advanced,  still  keeping  close  together. 


•HE  COULD  ONLY  CBY  OUT,  'FiJEDl  FB£D!     HEBE  THEY  COlIEl' 


THE  RESCUE  305 

"  We  don't  see  but  two/'  said  the  stout  man,  coming  to 
a  halt  again.     "■  Where  's  the  other  one  at  ? " 

"He  's  too  weak  to  get  out  of  his  bunk,"  said  Lieuten- 
ant Coleman.  "For  God's  sake,  have  you  brought  us 
food?" 

"  That 's  just  what  we  have,"  said  the  rosy-faced  stout 
man,  who  came  on  without  any  further  hesitation.  "We  've 
brought  ye  a  corn-pone.  We  'lowed  there  might  be  some 
human  critters  starvin'  up  here."  With  that  he  whisked 
about  the  thin  man,  and  snatched  a  corn-loaf  from  the 
haversack  on  his  back. 

"  How  did  you-all  ever  git  here  ? "  said  the  thin  man. 
"  Hit 's  seven  year  since  the  old  bridge  tumbled  into  the 
gorge." 

There  was  no  reply  to  this  question,  for  Bromley  was 
devouring  his  bread  like  a  starved  wolf,  while  Coleman 
had  turned  away  to  share  his  piece  with  Philip. 

The  eagerness  with  which  they  ate  seemed  to  please  the 
two  valley-men,  who  were  willing  enough  to  wait  a  reason- 
able time  for  the  information  they  sought.  It  was  a  fine 
opportunity  to  give  some  account  of  themselves,  and  the 
rosy-faced  man  made  good  use  of  it. 

"  We  're  plumb  friendly,"  he  said,  "  and  mighty  glad  we 
brought  along  the  bread,  ain't  we,  Tom  ?  Might  n't  'a' 
done  hit  if  hit  had  n't  'a'  been  for  my  old  woman  insistin'. 
She  'lowed  some  hunter  fellers  had  got  up  here  and  could  n't 
git  down  ag'in,  and  she  hild  fast  to  that  idea  while  she 
was  a-bakin'  last  night,  time  your  fire  was  a-burnin'.  Hit 
certainly  takes  women  folks  to  git  the  rights  o'  things, 


306  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

don't  hit,  Tom  1  My  name  is  Riley  Hooper,  and  this  yer 
friend  o'  mine  is  Tom  Zachary,  and  we  're  nothin'  if  we 
ain't  friendly." 

Poor  Philip  was  unable  to  swallow  the  dry  bread,  and 
Coleman  came  to  the  door  with  the  golden  cup  in  his  hand, 
and  begged  one  of  the  men  to  bring  a  cup  of  water  from 
the  branch.  Tom  Zachary  hurried  off  on  this  mission  of 
mercy. 

"  Hit 's  a  wonder,"  he  exclaimed,  when  he  came  back 
with  the  dripping  cup,  "  that  you-all  ain't  been  pizoned 
afore  this,  drinkin'  out  o'  brass  gourds.  That 's  what  ailed 
Colum.  Long  time  he  had  the  greensickness.  But  his 
woman  was  cookin'  into  a  brass  kittle,  and  that  might  'a' 
made  some  difference." 

The  two  men  now  pressed  into  the  house  to  see  Philip, 
and  Bromley,  whose  hands  were  at  last  empty,  and  whose 
strength  was  fast  returning,  came  after  them. 

''  I  'm  jist  nacherly  put  out,"  said  Hooper,  when  he  saw 
the  condition  of  Philip,  '^  that  I  did  n't  bring  along  some- 
thin'  to  warm  up  a  cold  stomic.  Poor  feller !  Say,  where 's 
your  f ryin'-pan  at  ?  I  'U  fix  a  dose  for  him.  Here,  Tom, 
wake  up.  Fill  this  skillet  with  water  out  o'  the  branch, 
'thout  no  flavor  o'  brass  into  hit";  and  as  he  spoke  he 
whisked  Tom  around  again,  and  took  the  haversack  from 
his  shoulders.  "No,  ye  don't,"  said  he  to  Bromley,  who 
came  forward  for  more  bread.  "  No,  ye  don't,  my  boy. 
I  've  viewed  starvin'  humans  afore.  What  you  want  to  do 
is  to  go  slow.  A  dose  o'  gruel  is  jest  the  ticket  for  this 
yer  whole  outfit." 


THE  EESCUE  307 

The  rosy-faced  man  was  too  busy  witli  the  fire  and  the 
gruel,  and  too  eager  to  improve  the  condition  of  the  men 
he  had  rescued,  to  ask  any  disturbing  questions ;  and  Tom 
Zachary  was  so  considerate,  in  the  presence  of  actual  star- 
vation, that  he  seated  himself  on  a  three-legged  stool,  and 
stared  at  the  stained-glass  windows  and  the  flags  and  the 
curious  map  on  the  wall.  It  was  just  as  weU  that  Bromley 
had  removed  the  golden  casters,  years  before,  from  the 
legs  of  the  stools,  when  they  were  found  to  make  ruts  and 
furrows  in  the  earthen  floor.  Tom  Zachary  would  have 
been  more  astonished  than  ever  if  he  had  found  himself 
rolling  about  on  double-eagles. 

When  the  hot  gruel  had  been  served,  Philip  was  so  much 
revived  as  to  be  able  to  sit  up  on  the  edge  of  his  bunk. 
If  it  was  delicacy  that  stni  prevented  the  visitors  from  ask- 
ing questions,  it  was  a  dread  of  overwhelming  bad  news 
that  sealed  the  soldiers'  lips.  They  had  become  so  settled 
in  their  convictions,  and  so  confii-med  in  their  strange 
blindness,  that  they  shrank  from  hearing  the  mortifying 
particulars.  So  the  five  men  sat  staring  at  one  another, 
each  party  waiting  for  the  other  to  begin. 

"  Sojer  coats,"  said  the  lean  man,  nudging  his  companion. 

"  And  cavalry  guns  and  swords,"  said  the  rosy-faced  one, 
casting  his  eyes  on  the  trophy. 

"And  my  affydavid,"  said  the  taU  one,  "if  them  ain't 
the  reg'lar  old  signal-flags— one,  two,  one." 

Lieutenant  Coleman  was  thankful  that  his  visitors  had 
said  nothing  disagreeable  thus  far,  but  he  feared  every 
moment  that  they  would  make  some  insulting  remark 

17 


308  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIEES 

about  the  old  flag,  which  they  could  see  through  the  door- 
way. 

Bromley  restrained  himself  as  long  as  he  could,  and 
then,  in  reply  to  the  three  mild  observations,  in  which  he 
thought  he  detected  a  shade  of  sarcasm,  he  exclaimed : 

"  Well,  what  of  it  ?  We  are  not  ashamed  of  our  uniform 
or  of  our  arms." 

"  There  ain't  no  reason  why  ye  should  be,  my  buck," 
said  the  rosy-faced  man.  "  Soldierin'  is  as  good  a  trade 
as  any  other," 

''  Hit 's  better  'n  some,"  said  the  tall  one. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Lieutenant  Coleman,  who  began  to 
fear  more  personal  remarks,  ''you  have  saved  our  lives 
to-day.  We  shall  never  forget  your  kindness,  or  cease  to 
feel  ourselves  youi*  debtors.  You  see  our  destitute  condi- 
tion. We  need  food  for  the  coming  winter,  and  seed  for 
another  year,  for  which  we  are  able  to  pay ;  and  if  you 
know  who  owns  this  mountain-top,  we  shall  be  glad  to 
arrange,  through  you,  to  buy  it." 

''  Well,  now,  I  '11  be  gormed,"  said  the  rosy-faced  man, 
"  if  he  ain't  a  thoroughbred  as  soon  's  he  gits  fed  up  a 
little.  Wants  to  buy  these  yer  rocks,  does  he  ?  Tom,  who 
do  you  reckon  owns  this  mounting  ? " 

"  Dunno,"  said  Tom,  with  a  gi'in,  "  if  you  don't." 

"Well,  I  do,"  said  Hooper,  expanding  himself  with  an 
air  of  proprietorship,  "  and  there  hain't  nobody  never  dis- 
puted my  title  to  this  upper  kentry." 

"  Are  you  willing  to  sell  it  ? "  said  Lieutenant  Coleman. 


THE  RESCUE  309 

"  I  '11  sell  anything  I  've  got,"  said  Hooper,  looking  more 
rosy  and  smiling  than  ever,  "  so  I  git  my  figger." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Coleman.  "  If  we  take  the  mountain- 
top  from  the  deep  gorge  up,  at  what  price  would  you  value 
it?" 

"  Well,  now,"  said  Hooper,  '^  if  you  really  mean  business, 
this  yer  track  ain't  worth  a  fortun'.  Timber-land  in  these 
parts  brings  a  dollar  an  acre  when  hit  brings  anything. 
Rock-land  like  this,  without  no  timber  onto  hit,  is  worth 
fifty  cents;  but,  considerin'  the  improvements  and  the 
buildin's,"  he  continued,  "  I  reckon  seventy-five  would  be 
dirt-cheap.  Hit  ain't  ever  been  surveyed,  but  I  'low  there 's 
two  hundred  acres  above  the  gorge." 

Lieutenant  Coleman  already  had  his  hand  in  the  pocket 
of  his  canvas  trousers,  and,  bringing  out  two  double-eagles, 
he  handed  them  to  the  rosy-faced  proprietor  as  a  first  pay- 
ment. Hooper  jumped  up  from  his  seat  and  took  the  two 
yellow  coins  in  his  hands,  and  chinked  them  together,  and 
tossed  them  about  as  if  he  feared  they  might  burn  his 
palms. 

"Durned  if  hit  ain't  United  States  gold  money,  Tom," 
he  exclaimed,  passing  one  of  the  coins  to  Zachary,  who 
was  equally  excited.  "We  hain't  viewed  that  kind  o' 
money  for  seven  years  in  these  parts,  have  we,  Tom  ? " 

Tom  indorsed  his  companion's  statement  in  pretty 
strong  language,  and  Lieutenant  Coleman  hastened  to  say 
that  if  the  money  was  not  satisfactory,  they  could  probably 
agree  upon  some  rate  of  exchange.    At  this  point  of  the 


310  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

conversation,  the  two  mountaineers  exchanged  some  words 
in  a  whisper,  and  the  soldiers  believed  they  were  agreeing 
upon  the  discount  between  United  States  and  Confederate 
money.  To  fill  up  this  awkward  break  in  the  conversa- 
tion, Lieutenant  Coleman  began  again  to  express  his 
gratitude  to  his  rescuers. 

"Now,  hold  on,  captain,"  exclaimed  Hooper,  facing 
about.  "Whatsoever  me  and  Tom  has  done,  we  have 
done  willin',  and  nobody  willin'er,  and  we  're  goin'  to 
stand  by  ye  to  the  end ;  but  we  ain't  goin'  no  further  in 
this  business  till  you  tell  us  how  ye  got  here.  The  way  we 
study  hit  out,  you  ain't  treatin'  me  and  Tom  fair." 

"  Pardon  me,  my  good  friends,"  said  Lieutenant  Cole- 
man. "  I  had  no  intention  of  being  rude.  We  came  here 
in  the  summer  of  1864,  in  the  line  of  our  duty  as  Union 
soldiers,  and  w^en  the  war  ended  with  the  success  of  the 
Confederates—" 

"  What !  "  cried  the  two  men  together,  gasping  in  amaze- 
ment at  what  they  heard.  "  And  the  Union  was  destroyed," 
continued  Lieutenant  Coleman.  "  And  the  Capitol  feU  into 
the  hands  of  the  Confederates."  "And  slavery  was  re- 
stored," exclaimed  Bromley.  "And  the  flag  was  disgraced 
and  robbed  of  its  stars,"  put  in  PhiKp,  with  such  voice 
as  he  could  command. 

The  two  mountaineers  stood  open-mouthed  for  a 
moment,  and  then  they  burst  into  peals  of  laughter. 
"Whoop!"  cried  the  rosy-faced  man,  slapping  his  leg 
and  throwing  his  wool  hat  on  the  floor  as  if  it  had  been  a 
brickbat.     "  If  that  ain't  the  jolliest  thing  I  ever  heard, 


THE  RESCUE  311 

and  hit  's  kind  o'  serious-like,  too !  Why,  men,  there 
ain't  no  Confederacy.  Hit 's  the  old  United  States,  from 
Canada  to  the  GuK  of  Mexico,  and  from  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  clear  across  to  the  Pacific." 

"  And  General  Sherman—"  gasped  Philip. 

"  He 's  gineral  of  the  army  up  in  Washington  right  now, 
and  Gineral  Grant  is  President,"  cried  the  rosy-faced  man. 

Somehow  the  interior  of  the  house  grew  vague  and 
misty,  as  if  a  sea-fog  had  swept  in  through  the  windows. 
Everything  and  everybody  danced  and  reeled  about,  until 
the  soldiers  fell  away  from  the  embrace  of  their  deliverers, 
quite  exhausted  by  the  excitement  and  the  news  they  had 
heard. 

While  all  this  was  going  on,  Philip  lay  back  on  his 
blanket  and  shed  tears  of  joy  over  the  wonderful  news. 
In  fact,  there  was  n't  a  dry  eye  in  the  room.  Even  the 
eyes  of  the  men  from  Cashiers  glistened  with  moisture,  as 
they  vied  with  each  other  in  discharging  facts,  like  can- 
non-balls, into  the  ears  of  the  astonished  soldiers.  They 
gave  them  a  rough  history  of  the  end  of  the  great  war,  of 
the  tragic  death  of  Lincoln,  and  of  some  of  the  events 
which  had  since  taken  place  in  the  United  States. 

"  There  were  thirty-five  stars  on  the  old  flag  when  we 
came  here,"  cried  Lieutenant  Coleman. 

"  And  there  's  thirty-seven  now,"  said  Hooper. 

"  Thirty-seven !  "  repeated  the  soldiers,  looking  at  one 
another  through  their  tears.     "  Thirty-seven !  " 

The  soldiers  ate  some  more  of  the  bread  from  the 
haversack,  and  with  renewed  strength  went  out  into  the 


312  THE  LAST   THKEE  SOLDIERS 

afternoon  sunlight,  Coleman  and  Bromley  supporting 
Philip,  and  all  five  sat  down  under  the  old  flag.  And 
as  they  sat  there  together  like  brothers,  the  soldiers 
told  the  others  why  they  had  fii'st  come  to  the  mountain, 
and  the  bad  news  they  had  got  by  flag,  and  the  resolution 
they  had  made,  and  aU  that  had  come  of  it.  And  when 
they  had  done  speaking,  Tom  Zachary,  whose  face  had 
grown  longer  and  sadder  as  he  listened  to  their  story,  said 
he  had  something  to  tell  them  for  which  he  hoped  they 
would  forgive  him. 

"  I  was  only  a  boy  in  the  war-time,"  said  Tom,  "  and  I 
lived  with  my  kin-folks  in  a  settlement  at  the  foot  of  the 
tenth  mountain.  Gineral  Thomas  commanded  the  Home 
Guard  brigade,  with  headquarters  at  Quallatown,  in  the 
Cherokee  kentry,  and  he  had  signal-flag  men  like  you-all, 
and  'mongst  the  rest  there  was  one  named  Bud  Bryson. 
Now  Bud  was  mighty  peart,  and  he  boasted  as  how  he 
could  study  out  any  cipher  that  ever  was  made,  if  only  he 
had  time  enough.  So  when  the  gineral  heard  that  there 
was  a  Yankee  station  on  that  mountain,  he  sent  Bud  with 
a  spy-glass,  to  make  out  the  cipher  and  read  the  telegrafts 
for  him.  Many 's  the  day  I  stayed  out  on  the  South  Ridge 
with  Bud,  and  wrote  down  the  letters  as  he  read  'em  off, 
and,  turn  'em  which  way  we  would,  we  could  never  make 
head  or  tail  of  'em.  It  was  a-z-q-j-g  and  such  fool  let- 
ters, and  after  two  weeks'  hard  work  Bud  Bryson  was  no 
nearer  to  makin'  sense  of  the  letters  than  when  he  begun, 
though  he  did  always  say  that  if  they  had  only  give  him 
time  he  would  'a'  studied  out  the  trick. 


THE  RESCUE  313 

"  But  the  gineral  got  tired  o'  waitin'  on  Bud,  and  one 
day  he  sent  a  squad  of  fifteen  cavalry  soldiers  to  capture 
the  stations.  The  soldiers  started  up  the  mountain  in  the 
early  mornin',  with  Bud  to  guide  'em  and  give  'em  points. 
I  went  up  with  the  rest,  just  to  see  the  fun,  and  when  we 
got  to  the  top,  the  soldiers  rushed  in  on  two  sets  o'  men, 
sawin'  the  air  with  their  flags  and  sendin'  messages  both 
ways.  Lieutenant  Swann  was  the  officer's  name,  a  big 
red  man,  and  mighty  mad  he  was  when  the  soldiers  took 
him.  They  searched  him  from  head  to  foot,  and  'mongst 
the  papers  on  him  they  found  the  secret  cipher  Bud  had 
been  workin'  for. 

"  What  with  guardin'  the  prisoners  and  the  prospect  of 
capturin'  more,  fifteen  troopers  was  too  scant  a  crowd  to 
divide  into  two  squads,  and  so  the  captain  ordered  Bud  to 
stay  on  the  mountain  and  give  the  stations  ahead  enough 
news  to  keep  'em  quiet  until  he  come  back. 

"  That  game  suited  Bud  mighty  weU,  and  havin'  nobody 
to  help  him,  he  made  me  stay  with  him  to  take  down  the 
letters.  We  had  the  camp  just  as  they  left  it,  with  plenty 
o'  rations  and  coffee  to  drink  such  as  we  had  n't  tasted  for 
years,  and  every  time  Bud  looked  at  the  flags  he  burst  out 
laughin'.  Hit  was  somewhere  near  the  end  of  July  when 
we  took  the  mountain,  and  that  same  afternoon  Bud  begun 
to  figger  the  letters  of  his  first  message  crooked  accordin' 
to  the  cipher,  and  git  hit  ready  to  send  on.  '  Tom,'  he  says 
to  me  with  a  grin,  *I  reckon  we  better  kiU  off  Gineral 
Sherman  first,'  and  then  he  laughed  and  rolled  over  on  the 
blankets. 


314  THE  LAST   THREE   SOLDIERS 

"Next  mornin'  he  sent  the  message,  and  when  the  tele- 
graft  come  back  to  know  if  the  news  was  true,  he  sent 
word  hit  was,  '  honor  bright,'  and  signed  the  lieutenant's 
name,  'James  Swann.'  Hit  was  three  weeks  before  the 
squad  got  back  from  Chattanooga  way,  and  all  the  time 
Bud  kept  sendin'  lies  about  great  Confederate  victories. 
He  was  keerful  what  he  sent,  too,  and  figgered  on  the 
dates,  and  kept  aU  the  messages  he  had  sent  before  wrote 
down  in  order,  so  he  would  n't  get  mixed.  When  we  got 
all  ready  to  leave  Bear  Clift,  which  was  the  tenth  station, 
Bud  flagged  an  order  to  hold  on— that  relief  was  comin'. 

"Now,  after  we  started  east,  we  picked  up  a  station 
every  mornin' ;  and  as  soon  as  Bud  got  his  hands  on  the 
flags,  he  begun  to  lie  more  than  ever,  closin'  up  the  war 
with  a  dash.  We  had  over  fifty  prisoners  when  we  took 
the  three  men  off  from  Upper  Bald,  and  there  havin'  been 
six  on  every  other  station,  we  nat'rally  thought  we  had 
found  the  last;  and  the  cavalry  went  away  with  their 
prisoners  to  Quallatown." 


CHAPTER  XXV 

CONCLUSION 

''TER  the  straightforward  story  of  Tom  Zach- 
ary,  which  explained  the  cunning  method  by 
which  Lieutenant  Coleman  and  his  comrades 
had  been  deceived  by  the  flag-messages,  the 
soldiers  could  feel  no  resentment  toward  Tom.  They 
were  so  happy  in  the  possession  of  all  the  good  news 
they  had  heard  that  they  would  have  shaken  hands  with 
Bud  Bryson  himself,  if  he  had  been  one  of  their  rescuers. 
''Now  I  reckon,"  said  the  rosy-faced  man,  as  he  got  on 
his  feet  to  go  down  the  mountain,  "  considerin'  the  way 
things  has  turned  out,  you-all  won't  keer  about  investin' 
in  property  in  this  upper  kentry,  and  I  '11  give  ye  back 
your  money,"  he  continued,  looking  fondly  at  the  two 
yellow  coins. 

Coleman  and  Bromley,  however,  insisted  that  a  bargain 
was  a  bargain,  and  that  they  wanted  the  land  more  than 
ever.  They  should  go  away,  they  said,  the  next  day  if 
Philip  was  able  to  make  the  journey;  and  Lieutenant 
Coleman  pressed  another  coin  upon  Hooper,  for  which  he 

315 


316  THE  LAST  THREE  SOLDIERS 

was  to  bring  them  a  supply  of  clothing  which  they  could 
wear  as  far  as  Asheville. 

It  all  seemed  like  a  dream  to  the  three  belated  soldiers 
when  their  visitors  had  gone ;  but  Bromley,  who  was  the 
more  practical,  reminded  his  comrades  that  the  antislavery 
societies  must  have  been  long  since  disbanded,  and  that 
the  gold  was  theirs  by  the  right  of  discovery.  So,  after 
making  a  supper  of  the  corn-bread  from  the  haversack, 
Coleman  and  Bromley  fell  to  work  with  a  will,  stripping 
the  mill  of  its  golden  bands  and  hinges  and  hasps ;  and 
late  into  the  night  the  windows  of  the  forge  glowed  and 
beamed,  and  the  ruddy  firelight  streamed  out  through 
the  cracks  in  the  logs,  where  Bromley,  the  goldsmith,  was 
smelting  and  hammering  the  precious  metal  into  bars,  and 
beating  into  each,  while  it  was  soft,  the  impress  of  a 
double-eagle,  reversed. 

When  all  the  gold  was  packed  in  the  very  cask  in  which 
they  had  found  it,  and  so  wedged  and  padded  with  leaves 
of  the  temperance  books  that  it  no  longer  chinked  when 
it  was  moved,  a  book-cover  was  nailed  on  the  head,  and 
the  package  was  addressed  to  "  Lieutenant  Frederick 
Henry  Coleman,  U.  S.  A.,  Washington,  D.  C." 

The  tin  box  containing  the  diary,  and  the  flags  and 
swords  and  such  books  as  they  wished  to  keep,  were 
gathered  together  and  packed  for  transportation. 

By  noon  of  the  following  day  the  two  mountaineers 
appeared  again,  looking  like  old-clothes  men  as  they  came 
over  the  hiU. 

When  the  three  soldiers  got  out  of  their  tattered  cloth- 


'•THEY  LOOKED  HAKDLY  LESS  COMICAL  THAN  BEFORE.' 


CONCLUSION  319 

ing,  and  into  the  butternut-and-gray  suits  which  had  been 
borrowed  for  them  from  the  neighbor  folk  in  the  settle- 
ment, the  misfits  were  such  that  they  looked  hardly  less 
comical  than  before.  Philip  was  the  first  to  appear  from 
the  house  ready  for  the  descent.  His  hat  was  a  bell- 
crowned  beaver,  his  trousers  were  turned  up  half-way 
to  his  knees,  and  he  carried  in  his  hand  the  alligator- 
skin  bag  which  had  belonged  to  the  beautiful  lady  of  the 
balloon. 

After  they  got  down  the  ladders,  Coleman  carried  the 
cask  as  far  as  the  gorge,  resting  at  intervals,  but  never 
permitting  the  two  mountaineers  to  test  its  weight  or  even 
suspect  its  contents.  Philip  and  Bromley  divided  between 
them  the  flags  and  sabers,  the  remaining  carbine,  the  map, 
and  the  tin  box  containing  the  diary.  Hooper  and  Zachary 
were  occupied  with  the  six  sad  roosters,  and  Tumbler,  the 
bear,  ambled  along  behind  the  men  as  they  picked  their 
way  down  the  mountain.  It  was  really  a  perilous  journey 
along  the  rough  trunk  of  the  great  pine  which  lay  across 
the  dark  chasm,  but  Bromley  shouldered  the  cask,  and 
walked  over  as  steadily  as  old  Tumbler  himself,  and,  ar- 
rived on  the  opposite  side,  he  set  it  on  end  in  the  tail  of 
the  steer-cart,  which  was  hitched  to  a  sapling  alongside 
the  very  rock  on  which  Andy,  the  guide,  had  been 
seated  when  he  told  the  story  of  the  old  man  of  the 
mountain. 

The  tall  pines  were  whispering  together  in  the  soft  wind 
as  unconcernedly  as  if  it  had  been  seven  days  instead  of 
seven  years  since  the  soldiers  had  stood  on  that  spot  be- 


320  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

fore,  and  the  tinkling  stream  below  was  still  chinking  on 
its  way  like  silver  coins  in  a  vault. 

At  first  Philip  mounted  the  seat  beside  Tom  Zachary, 
and  took  charge  of  the  fowls  jolting  in  a  yellow,  croaking 
mass  between  his  feet,  except  the  old  paralyzed  rooster, 
which  he  carried  tenderly  in  his  lap.  He  was  too  excited 
to  ride,  however,  and  presently  he  got  down  and  walked 
with  the  others.  At  every  stage  of  the  descent  the  soldiers 
were  learning  new  facts  about  the  war,  which  made  their 
return  to  the  United  States  a  triumphal  and  delirious 
progress.  By  the  time  they  reached  the  hill-pastures, 
where  they  were  greeted  by  some  of  the  very  same  copper 
bells  that  had  startled  the  cavalcade  going  up,  they  began 
to  be  joined  by  the  people  who  had  heard  of  their  dis- 
covery. They  came  in  twos,  and  threes,  and  whole  fami- 
lies, to  swell  their  train,  so  that  when  they  turned  into 
the  sandy  road  through  the  valley  they  were  attended  by 
a  joyous  procession  of  curious  followers,  which  steadily  in- 
creased until  the  cart,  with  the  bear  shambling  alongside, 
came  to  a  stand  by  the  woodpile  of  Elder  Long,  misnamed 
Shifless.  Philip  took  off  his  bell-crowned  hat  right  and 
left  to  the  women ;  and  Lieutenant  Coleman  greeted  Aunt 
Lucy,  who  leaned  on  her  crutches  at  the  gate  among  the 
pui'ple  cabbage-heads,  with  the  stately  courtesy  he  had 
learned  at  West  Point. 

Riley  Hooper  mounted  the  woodpile,  and  announced, 
with  a  merry  twinkle  in  his  eye,  that  he  and  Tom  had 
captured  the  "harnts"  that  had  been  "doin'"  the  ghost 
business  so  long  on  old  Whiteside ;  at  which  Aunt  Lucy 


CONCLUSION  321 

glared  through  her  spectacles  as  if  the  remark  were  a 
personal  affront  to  her,  and  the  elder  exclaimed  fervently, 
"  May  the  Lord's  will  be  done ! " 

When  presently  the  mail-carrier  came  along  in  his  one- 
horse  gig,  Lieutenant  Coleman  wrote  a  hurried  despatch 
to  the  adjutant-general  of  the  army,  announcing  the  relief 
of  his  station,  and  the  cask  containing  the  treasure  was 
committed  to  the  carrier's  charge,  to  be  sent  on  by  express, 
as  if  it  were  only  the  commonest  piece  of  luggage. 

When  the  sun  disappeared  behind  the  mountain,  usher- 
ing in  the  long  twilight  in  the  valley,  the  crowd  was  still 
increasing,  and  one  of  the  last  to  arrive  was  the  old  post- 
master from  the  Cove.  When  he  came  the  soldiers  and 
their  deliverers  were  seated  with  the  elder's  family  about 
the  supper-table  in  the  kitchen,  where  the  neighbors  lined 
the  walls  and  filled  the  doors  and  windows,  eager  to  hear 
more  of  the  life  on  the  mountain. 

The  great  round  table  itself  excited  the  soldiers',  sur- 
prise ;  for,  besides  being  covered  with  a  gaudy  patchwork 
of  oilcloth,  it  was  encircled  at  a  lower  level  with  a  narrow 
ledge  which  held  the  plates  and  cups  and  knives  and  forks, 
while  the  great  center  was  loaded  with  smoking  loaves  of 
corn-bread,  platters  of  fried  chicken,  bowls  of  potatoes, 
jugs  of  milk,  and  pots  of  fragrant  tea. 

Room  was  made  for  the  postmaster  at  the  hospitable 
board,  and  after  the  elder  had  said  grace  standing,  he 
invited  everybody  to  help  himself,  at  the  same  time  giving 
the  table  a  twirl  which  sent  the  smoking  dishes  and  the 
flaring  tallow  dips  circling  around  on  an  inner  clockwork 


322  THE  LAST  THREE   SOLDIERS 

of  creaMng  wooden  wheels.  It  was  altogether  such  a 
bewildering  and  unexpected  movement  that  Philip  nearly 
fell  out  of  his  chair,  and  even  Bromley,  who  had  just  laid 
a  piece  of  corn-bread  on  the  edge  of  the  oilcloth,  dropped 
his  knife  as  he  saw  the  bread  sail  around  until  it  rested  in 
front  of  the  postmaster,  very  much  as  the  blanket  had 
fluttered  down  from  the  balloon. 

After  the  supper  was  over,  and  aU  the  neighbor  folks 
had  been  satisfied,  eating  and  drinking  where  they  stood, 
Lieutenant  Coleman,  speaking  for  his  companions,  related 
such  incidents  in  connection  with  their  life  on  the  moun- 
tain as  he  chose  to  disclose.  He  ended  his  long  story  by 
presenting  the  bear  to  Riley  Hooper,  and  the  six  sad 
roosters  to  Tom  Zachary,  with  a  sum  of  money  to  pay  for 
their  keeping.  The  library  of  abolition  books  he  presented 
to  Elder  Long,  telling  him  where  he  would  find  it  in  the 
long  cavern. 

"Hit  's  plumb  quare,"  said  the  postmaster,  after  Lieu- 
tenant Coleman  sat  down.  "  Did  you  'ns  ever  drop  sech 
a  thing  as  a  spy-glass  ? " 

''We  did  indeed,"  said  all  three  of  the  soldiers  to- 
gether. 

"  An'  mighty  well  battered  an'  twisted  hit  was,"  said  the 
postmaster.  *'  I  found  hit  'mongst  the  rocks  a  spell  after 
the  blanket  landed  front  o'  my  door,  an'  I  always  'lowed 
hit  fell  out  o'  the  balloon." 

The  soldiers  laughed. 

"I  come  drefful  nigh  comin'  up  thar  in  '69,"  said  the 
postmaster.      "Say,  strangers,"  he  continued,  dropping 


CONCLUSION  323 

his  voice,  "tell  me  true;  did  you  'ns  ever  view  the  harnt 
up  yonder  ? " 

"  We  never  had  the  pleasure,"  said  Lieutenant  Coleman. 

"  That 's  quare,  too,"  said  the  postmaster,  "  an'  you  livin' 
thar  seven  year;  fur  I  viewed  hit,  an'  no  mistake,  that 
winter  afore  I  'lowed  to  come  up,  a-gyratin'  an'  cavortin' 
on  the  avalanche  in  the  moonlight,  the  same  bein'  the 
night  afore  hit  fell." 

Bromley  sat  back  in  his  chair,  and  laughed  aloud. 
''Here  's  the  'harnt'  you  saw,"  he  exclaimed,  slapping 
Philip  on  the  shoulders. 

"  No,  no ! "  cried  the  postmaster,  getting  onto  his  feet 
with  a  scared  look  in  his  face.  "Yer  funnin'  with  me, 
stranger,  fur  no  human  could  'a'  got  thar  whar  I  viewed 
the  harnt." 

"But  he  did,"  said  Bromley;  and  then  he  described 
how  Philip  fell,  and  how  he  got  up  again.  "  By  the  way," 
continued  Bromley,  looking  around,  "  is  the  young  woman 
present  who  used  to  live  alone  in  the  house  under  Sheep 
CM?" 

At  this  question  some  of  the  neighbor  women  pushed 
forward  a  tall,  stoop-shouldered  girl  with  a  sallow  face, 
who  struggled  to  avoid  the  gaze  of  the  soldiers. 

"  What  fur  ye  want  'o  know  ? "  she  said  in  a  sullen  voice, 
still  pushing  to  get  back  to  her  place  against  the  wall. 

"  Oh,  nothing,"  said  Philip ;  "  only  we  used  to  see  you 
through  the  telescope." 

The  soldiers  and  the  family  sat  for  a  time  in  silence 
after  the  most  of  the  neighbors  had  gone. 


324  THE  LAST   THREE  SOLDIERS 

"  Well,  I  declare/'  said  the  postmaster,  giving  a  twirl  to 
the  creaking  table  which  caused  the  last  guttering  candle 
to  approach  him  in  a  smoky  circle,  "  how  things  do  come 
round ! " 

The  light  reddened  the  postmaster's  face  for  an  instant, 
and  gleamed  on  his  glasses,  as  he  blew  out  the  candle  and 
pinched  the  wick. 

And  so  ends  the  history  of  the  three  soldiers  who  re- 
mained in  voluntary  exile  for  seven  years,  and  were  hap- 
pily rescued  at  last. 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 

Wilmer 

977 

C.2 


